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to the individual case would clearly be irrelevant, and if the complaints which have been made are substantiated guidance could be issued to immigration officers about the need to avoid this line of questioning. There is a fine line to be drawn, of course, between perfectly legitimate questions designed to ascertain whether the passenger is a genuine visitor, and more general questions about the political or economic background in the passenger's country of origin from which no valid inference about individual intentions can be drawn.
Ultimately, however, we cannot get around the fact that immigration control applies to Hong Kong BDTCs and that this is the source of much of the resentment which we shall never therefore be able to eradicate. Immigration officers have a duty to satisfy themselves that passengers are qualified for admission under the Immigration Rules, and there are very full rights of appeal, which in the case of entry certificate holders can be exercised in this country. The absolute number of people refused admission last year 310 is not a very large
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proportion of the number admitted - 62,300. I entirely accept that the control must be exercised courteously and sensitively, and I shall therefore be glad to support whatever measures our officials can identify to improve matters when they may have gone wrong.
Youer, Huy h
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