the minors' bona fides.
CONFIDENTIAL
-2-
But as Hong Kong point out, clear
identification would often be impossible.
Appeals could be
expected in many cases. There would be inevitable publicity.
5. The second category concerns those minors who evade capture
on entering Hong Kong and reach one or both parents. Under existing
law they cannot be repatriated. The Hong Kong Government are taking
powers to be able to do so. Repatriating these minors can be
expected to lead to publicity but the Hong Kong Government do not
propose to repatriate them all indiscriminately. They would defend
repatriations on the lines of paragraph 6 of Hong Kong Telegram
A (110)
(1) No 1055. In practice only those without parents in Hong Kong or
whose mothers were still in China would be sent back.
6.
Migration and Visa Department have outlined HMG's own
policies on minors attempting to join their parents.
Dependent
children of persons here legally are allowed to join their parents,
though in the case of the Sub-Continent they have to wait their
turn in the queue. If they attempt to jump this they are generally
repatriated even though their parents and they hold British
passports. In other words, they must enter the UK legally.
7.
There is a risk that the Hong Kong Government's actions will
lead to criticism in this country, both of the Hong Kong
authorities and of HMG on an emotive subject. However, Hong Kong
are facing a serious problem and we should support them. The
new practice can be defended convincingly on the following grounds:
a) We are dealing with an illegal traffic in children.
If firm but humane measures are not taken, this will
grow and the children themselves will be exploited and
harmed.
CONFIDENTIAL
/b)