CONFIDENTAL
{
WE CAN MOUNT THIS OPERATION ANY TIME FROM THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. ALTHOUGH WE HOPE THAT THE CHINESE WILL WOND
AT
WE ARE UP TO, I DO NOT THINK THEY WOULD HAVE ANY GROUNDS OBJECT.
THERE SEEMS THEREFORE NO REASON TO DELAY UNTIL AFTER THE RUA VISIT. INDEED, THERE IS ADVANTAGE IN ACTING BEFORE THE VISIT TO ENSURE THAT THE CHINESE FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM. UNLESS YOU ORR PEKING SES OBJECTION, I PROPOSE THEREFORE TO AUTHORISE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT TO GO AHEAD WITH THIS NEW PROCEDURE AS FROM WEDNESDAY, 24 OCTOBER.
5. WE WOULD WARN NCNA AND CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE ONE DAY IN ADVANCE, EXPLAINING THAT THE NEW MEASURES WERE INTENDED TO DEAL WITH THE
LARGE NUMBERS CROSSING THE BORDER AND TO ENSURE, IN PARTICULAR, MINIMUM DELAY FOR THOSE WITH FULL DOCUMENTATION. AS THIS WOULD
BE PURELY A LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURE, I SEE NO REASON TO SAY ANYTHING IN PEKING OR LONDON,
6. AS ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE NUMBER OF
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IS AGAIN REACHING ALARMING PROPORTIONS. AFTER
AVERAGING ABOUT 250 PER DAY FOR THE FIRST FIFTEEN DAYS OF OCTOBER, WHICH IS BAD ENOUGH, THE ARREST FIGURE ROSE TO 360 ON 16 OCTOBER
AND 448 ON 17 OCTOBER. EVEN LARGER NUMBERS HAVE BEEN SEEN TO
BE ARRESTED ON THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE FRONTIER. WE ARE IN FREQUENT CONTACT WITH NCNA ABOUT THESE LARGE MOVEMENTS OF ILLEGALS
AND HAVE EXPRESSED GRAVE CONCERN ABOUT THEIR IMPLICATIONS. THIS TREND CONTINUES I SHALL HAVE TO ASK FOR REPRESENTATIONS IN
PEKING AS WELL.'
MACHE HOSE
IF
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HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
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