ARZADB (11)
(v)
EMIGRATION
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Recognise that this is a subject of concern to many people in
Hong Kong.
We are following trends carefully.
Welcome decision of Hong Kong Government to set up task force
to study scale of problem.
No easy solutions: efforts should be concentrated on maintaining Hong Kong as a place where people wish to make their
lives.
Steadily improving living standards and quality of life make Hong Kong a very attractive place to live.
HMG to discourage other countries from attracting emigrants from Hong Kong?
Each country pursues its own immigration policy and Hong Kong people are free to come and go. But we are in touch with governments of the countries to which Hong Kong people go: they well understand that it is not in their interests or in the interests of Hong Kong to have a destabilising movement of people
out of the territory.
Will HMG relax entry rules for emigrants to UK?/Any increase in
applications to emgrate to UK?
No evidence of increased emigration from Hong Kong to UK. Current entry rules permit emigration to UK under certain
conditions: see no reason to vary them
No reliable figures for emigration or re-emigration?
Hong Kong is of course an open society which permits the free
flow of people.
Precise figures are therefore difficult to
establish
That's why the Hong Kong Government are studying the matter carefully to establish the scale of the problem.
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