GRS GOO
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 181235Z NOVEMBER 81
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1014 OF 10 NOVEMBER
34113
HIR 344
нке
RACENDO IN REMY NO. SI 1 1 NOV 1981
DESK OFFICER
RA.
NDEX
FA
No CGE
11/11
PG 11/19
INFO PRIORITY PEKING HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
MIPT: LEGAL IMMIGRATION
FOLLOWING IS SUGGESTED SPEAKING NOTE.
1. NCNA WILL HAVE NOTED THE REFERENCE IN THE GOVERNOR'S
LEGCO SPEECH TO THE NEED TO REDUCE THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE COMING TO HONG KONG FOR PERMANENET SETTLEMENT WHILE
AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING FOR GENUINE VISITORS.
2. WE NOTE THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF
THOSE ENTERING HONG KONG TO AN AVERAGE OF 150 A DAY.
3. UNFORTUNATELY VERY FEW RETURN TO CHINA,
IMMIGRATION FROM THIS SOURCE ADDS SOME 55,000 PEOPLE TO HONG
KONG'S POPULATION EACH YEAR. THE ABSORPTION OF THESE NUMBERS, IN ADDITION TO THE ILLEGAL ENTRANTS OF RECENT YEARS, IS PLACING VERY GREAT STRAIN ON HONG KONG'S HOUSING
AND OTHER SERVICES.
See 16
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HKK 020/1 (41)
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4. WE HAVE BEEN GREATLY CONCERNED BY THE RECENT UPWARD
TREND IN THE PROPORTION OF VISITORS FROM CHINA HOLDING
ONE-WAY AS OPPOSED TO TWO-WAY TRAVEL PERMITS. BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR IT WAS LESS THAN 10 PER CENT.
DURING THE COURSE OF 1981 IT HAS STEADILY RISEN AND HAS NOW REACHED
75 PER CENT. WE REGARD THIS PROPORTION AS MUCH TOO HIGHT.
5. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THE COOPERATION OF THE
CHINESE AUTHORITIES IN FINDING A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. IN
OUR VIEW IT SHOULD CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:-
(A) THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WILL CONTINUE TO RESTRICT THE
NUMBER OF THOSE GIVEN PEMITS TO TRAVEL TO HONG KONG TO AN
AVERAGE OF 150 A DAY:
(B) OF THOSE, NO MORE THAN HALF WILL BE GIVEN ONE-WAY PERMITS
I E PERMITS FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT:
CONFIDENTIAL
/ (c)