CONFIDENTIAL
All
Any
the Puic Enquiry Office in Lunar House.
applications will be treated in strict confidence.
decisions on further extensions of stay will be taken in
the light of events in China. The Prime Minister could
add that we would be willing to issue Home Office travel
documents to those who wish to travel abroad whose
passports are about to expire and who, for good reason,
are unwilling or unable to apply to the Chinese
authorities for renewal of their exisitng passports.
If the delegation asks about political asylum, the
Prime Minister might explain that in order to be eligible
for asylum under the terms of the UN Convention on
Refugees, a person must show that he has "a well founded
fear of persecution in his home country". She could
point out that this is a big step that has potentially
serious consequences for an applicant in his home
country. She might therefore suggest that anyone who is
uncertain about his position should seek an extension of
his stay from the Home Office.
The delegation is likely to urge that financial
support should be provided for Chinese students in
financial difficulties. The Prime Minister might say
that Chinese students or other visitors who face such
difficulties should, in the first instance, inform the
Home Office. If
appropriate, the Home Office will remove
any employment restrictions on their stay in the UK.
This would allow those concerned to take paid work in the
CONFIDENTIAL