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responsibility to look after their interests. You remember the
formula that was used ? I was being a bit hesitant there, because
I would have been happier if I had actually got the copy of
Hansard in front of me, but those were roughly the words and the very carefully chosen words which were used in both the House of
Commons and the House of Lords.
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MS ?
Will you then encourage the Indian community
in Hong Kong to take Chinese nationality so as to stop the nationality problems in the future ?
MINISTER: Well, it is not really a matter for me, is it ?
But the community of course does know it will be open to them to 14 apply for Chinese nationality. The point that was made to them
was made by them to us in London was of course we could not tell then that anybody who applied for Chinese nationality would necessarily get it.
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MS ?
I am inferring from your comments on repatriation that you think the arrival of an immigrant in a free country is a nett economic loss ? Is that correct ?
MINISTER:
No.
I don't think that at all, but there can be great pressures on a country. I mean, after all, Britain is a pretty small country and you do often find that those who come as immigrants to Britain congregate in particular areas. It is hardly surprising, for instance, that if you have a strong Bangladeshi community in Manchester and Birmingham and in London, then new arrivals tend to go to those inner city centres. I think anybody who has been there would agree with me that there is pressure on housing, pressure on hospitals, pressure on schools, and so I think it would be very foolish not to acknowledge that immigration can pose extraordinary problems to a host country. On the other hand, there is no doubt at all about it, that some immigrants can be of enormous economic advantage to the host country. No doubt at all about that and I don't underestimate
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