ROBACG
EMIGRATION FROM HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
Background
1.
One of Martin Lee's themes is that uncertainty over political developments in Hong Kong and suspicion of Chinese intervention are causing people to emigrate from Hong Kong.
2. The Hong Kong Government is preparing a paper on emigration
from Hong Kong:
3.
(a)
(b)
they expect the total number of emigrant visas issued in 1987 by recipient countries to rise substantially to over 35,000, up from 21,766 in 1986.
indications so. far are that civil servants do not form a significant proportion of these figures.
Martin Lee is likely to quote figures in line with para 2(a), based on police statistics, which are the only statistics readily available to him, for the number of "certificates of no criminal conviction" issued. These are required by most Consulates in Hong Kong to support visa applications.
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