SCR 49/2091/73
RMOVED IN
REGISTRY No.51
- OMAY 1974
NKKINS
Dear And hist
LABT
RA
;"x;
23
COMP.DENTIAL
(20)
Colonial Secretariat, Lower Albert Road, HONG KONG.
26th April 1974
R&R
Deportation of LEUNG Pak-kin
Thank you for your letter of 28th January reference HKK 14/5.
First let me give the figures you asked for. Over the two calendar years 1972/73, we sent back to Vietnam 11 illegal immigrants from here. There were no sustained protests on their behalf such as were made for LEUNG Pak-kin, Over the same period, we sent 380 illegal immigrants back to Macau (of whom 23 are known to have slipped back here, the actual figure probably being far higher) and 152 to Taiwan. We removed 11 persons
to countries other than from whence they had come, including 5 from South Vietnam, all of the latter being sent to Taiwan. This was done where there were clear compassionate or humanitarian grounds.
We had a total of 39, 029 known illegal immigrants over the two years, almost all from China and therefore not returnable on present practice. This total makes us very warey of making it easier for illegal immigrants from other countries to sneak in undetected or, if detected, to remain here.
Your letter indicates that the practice in the UK is to take due account of the wishes of the deportee. We would be reluctant to go quite as far in Hong Kong because of a fear that the present trickle of illegal immigrants from South East Asian countries might begin to build up if it became known that our present controls were being relaxed. We also know that there is genuine concern locally that the provision of services for illegal immigrants means that that much less can be provided for those residing legally in Hong Kong. On this basis the return of illegal immigrants to their country of origin is acceptable provided that due consideration is given to particular cases where a variation of policy is justified on humanitarian grounds and Executive Council has approved this policy.
C.S. 143
A. C. Stuart, Esq, CPM,
Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
LONDON S. W. 1.
CONFIDENTIAL
BU I month
BD
27/6
Dzdy