CONFIDENTIAL
5. THE MAJOR ABUSE CONCERNS PEOPLE WHO OBTAIN VISIT OR TOURIST
VISAS TO THIRD COUNTRIES. MOST (BUT BY NO MEANS ALL) ARRIVALS WITH
IMMIGRANT VISAS DO EVENTUALLY LEAVE. OF THOSE REFUSED LANDING AT LOWU UP TO 31 AUGUST THE MAJOR CLAIMED DESTINATIONS WERE:
THAILAND 47%.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA 29%
(THE MAJOR DESTINATIONS WERE MEXICO, CHILE, SURINAM AND CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES WITHOUT DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA)
U.S.A. 6%
THE REMAINDER CLAIMED TO BE GOING TO ABOUT 40 OTHER COUNTRIES.
6. THESE PEOPLE ARE DECEIVING BOTH THE CHINESE AND HONG KONG AUTHORITIES. OBVIOUSLY MEANS MUST BE FOUND OF STOPPING THIS, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM IS SO GREAT. THE NUMBERS DETAINED ARE NOT EXCESSIVE. BECAUSE OF THE STRAIN ON THE RESOURCES, IT IS ONLY IN THE MOST BLATANT CASES THAT PASSPORT HOLDERS ARE DETAINED. 89 PER CENT OF ARRIVALS AT LOWU HAVE BEEN LANDED FOR PERIODS OF BETWEEN 2 DAYS AND 3 MONTHS, DEPENDING ON INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. NEVERTHELESS RECENT SURVEYS SHOW THAT CURRENTLY SOME 38 PER CENT OF THOSE LANDED DO NOT INTEND TO LEAVE HONG KONG. EARLIER SURVEYS, BEFORE INCREASING USE WAS MADE OF DETENTION AND ESCORT, SHOWED THAT OVER 50 PERCENT OF CPG PASSPORT HOLDERS DID NOT INTEND TO LEAVE HONG KONG. WITH THE INCREASED ARRIVALS OF PASSPORT HOLDERS WITH ONWARD VISAS (FROM UNDER 1,000 A MONTH IN JANUARY - MARCH TO OVER 2,500 IN AUGUST) THIS HAS BECOME A SIGNIFICANT ADDITION TO OUR IMMIGRATION PROBLEM. THERE WERE PROBABLY AN ADDITIONAL 25 SUCH IMMIGRANTS A DAY IN AUGUST.
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNTIL
UNDER FOI
EXEMPTION NO .40.
2
-
CONFIDENTIAL