CONFIDENTIAL
37
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 01094ØZ JAN
Buil
TO ROUTINE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE AKK 34ill TELEGRAM NUMBER 188 OF 1 FEBRUARY, 1980 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 INFO PEKING AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDONFEB 1980
ЗАА
YOUR TELNO 88: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.
DE
INDER
No
FOLLOWING FOR CLIFT, HKGD FROM POLITICAL ADVISER.
ICER
PA
REMR
10/3
REGISTRY
Action Taken
Aw "13.
1. THE STATISTICS ARE INDEED DISCOURAGING. WE WILL NOT, HOWEVER,
HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE NEW CHINESE
REGULATIONS UNTIL THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TRIALS OF THOSE
INVOLVED IN ORGANISING ESCAPES'' AND THAT LESSON HAS SUNK IN (SEE MY LETTER OF 23 JANUARY TO MCLAREN, FED). YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM THE BBC MONITORING AND MY TELNO 182 THAT SOME TRIALS
HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE. WE EXPECT MORE. IT WOULD BE UNREALISTIC
TO EXPECT ANY EFFECTS TO BE APPARENT BEFORE AT LEAST MID-FEBRUARY.
AT THAT POINT THE PICTURE WILL AGAIN BE DISTORTED BY THE LUNAR
NEW YEAR. THUS WE WILL NOT BE IN A POSITION TO GET AN ACCURATE
PICTURE OF THE TREND UNTIL ABOUT THE END OF FEBRUARY.
2. THE REFERENCE IN THE EXCO MINUTES WAS TO A REVIEW OF THE
EXISTING POLICY OF ALLOWING ILLEGALS WHO REACH BASE'' TO
REGISTER AND REMAIN. THIS REVIEW SHOULD BE COMPLETE BY ABOUT
THE END OF FEBRUARY. YOU WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE ARGUMENTS
FOR THE EXISTING POLICY WHICH MAKES A DECISION TO CHANGE
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
3. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER SUGGESTING ANY CHANGES
TO OVERALL POLICY ON IMMIGRATION UNTIL AFTER THE END OF
FEBRUARY WHEN THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM WE HAVE TO FACE
WILL BE CLEARER. MEANWHILE WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN
PRESSURE ON THE CHINESE ABOUT BOTH ILLEGAL AND LEGAL IMMIGRATION.
CONFIDENTIAL
14.