GRS 275
RESTRICTED
169
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 1409482 AUG 79
TO
ORITY PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 131 OF 14 AUGUST
HKK 341
RECEIVED IN PESBIKE NO. 51
15 AUG 1979
DESK OFFICER
INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, FONDEX
MY TELNO 1996 TO FCO IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA. Ser 112
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
&
YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM REFTEL THAT IN JULY 160 PEOPLE ARRIVED ON PASSPORTS WITHOUT ONWARD VISAS, THE HIGHEST FIGURE SINCE JANUARY (252). THIS TREND HAS CONTINUED IN AUGUST WITH 152 PASSPORT
SPOT HOLDERS ARRIVING WITHOUT ONWARD VISAS IN THE FIRST 12 DAYS.
2. WE HAVE RAISED THIS WITH THE NCHA WHO HAVE SAID THEY UNDERSTAND
THAT GENERALLY PASSPORT HOLDERS ARE NOT GIVEN EXIT VISAS UNTIL THEY HAVE A VISA FOR THEIR ONWARD DESTINATION: BUT THAT SOME CARRY DOCUMENTATION IN LIEU OF A VISA WHOSE VALIDITY LOCAL OFFICIALS IN
CHINA MAY FIND DIFFICULTY IN ASSESSING, WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO PROVIDE THE NCNA WITH DETAILS OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION WHICH PEOPLE HAVE APPARENTLY BEEN ABLE TO USE TO OBTAIN PASSPORTS AND
EXIT VISAS. THIS WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO COLLECT AND ANALYSE SINCE, ALTHOUGH THE LARGEST NUMBER OF CASES INVOLVE THE US, OVER 20 DESTINATIONS ARE INVOLVED.
3. WE ARE, HOWEVER, CONCERNED THAT NUMBERS COULD CONTINUE TO RISE
SHARPLY (THERE WERE OVER 3,000 PASSPORT HOLDERS WITHOUT ONWARD VISAS EACH MONTH FROM OCTOBER TO DECEMBER 1978). GRATEFUL,
THAT THIS THEREFORE, IF YOU WOULD TELL THE MFA NOW OF OUR CONCERN
PROBLEM, WHICH APPEARED SOLVED IN JUNE (WHEN THERE WERE NO ARRIVALS WITHOUT ONWARD VISAS), SHOULD HAVE RECURRED, IT IS NOW PUSHING UP ARRIVAL FIGURES, WHICH STILL REMAIN FAR TOO HIGH: THE DAILY AVERAGE OF LEGAL ARRIVALS TO 12 JUNE WAS 181.
4. FURTHER DETAILS BY BAG,
MALLEK05
TILES
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE
SEAD
PS
HK & GD
UND
FED
EESD
NAM D
SAD
HAED
EID
PUSD
OID
IPD
NEWS D HVD
PS/LPS PS/HR HURD
PS/MR BLAKER PS/PUS
SIR A DUFT-
SIR A PARSONS
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
MR STANTON
LORD NG LENNOX
MR DULLARD
MR PERCUSSON
MR FRETELL
[ ADVANCED TO HONGKONG GOUT office]
PESTRICTED