عن محمد
CONFIDENTIAL
FM LISBON
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 260
CONFIDENTIAL
ме☺
M
072074
MDLIAN 9249
HUD 345/9
RECEIVED.
14 JUN 1990
OF 071715Z MAY 1990
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG BTC, PEKING
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
BLUE TRY Aution Taken
HONG KONG FOR POLITICAL ADVISER
MACAU
1. DURING THE HOME SECRETARY'S VISIT TO LISBON ON 4 MAY, THE PORTUGUESE MINISTER OF INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION (PEREIRA) CLAIMED IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS FROM MR WADDINGTON THAT ONLY 3-4000 PEOPLE FROM MACAU WITH PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT OF RESIDENCE IN PORTUGAL. I COMMENTED THAT WE HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE PORTUGUESE MFA THAT THE FIGURE WAS NEARER 100,000 (CF OUR TELNOS 28,112 AND 137 OF 1989 TO YOU). BUT THE PORTUGUESE SIDE INSISTED THAT ONLY 3-4000 PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT OF RESIDENCE.
2. MR WADDINGTON ASKED ME FOR FURTHER BRIEFING AND COUNSELLOR PREPARED A NOTE (WHICH IS BEING COPIED TO YOU BY BAG). BUT IN VIEW OF COMPLEXITY OF SUBJECT AND DIFFERING SOURCES OF INFORMATION INVOLVED, I TOLD MR WADDINGTON THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF A CONSOLIDATED BRIEF WAS PASSED TO HIM THROUGH THE FCO WHICH HE AGREED
TO. GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF YOU COULD PASS A BRIEF TO HIM ACCORDINGLY.
3. AS YOU WILL SEE FROM COUNSELLOR'S NOTE, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SCOPE FOR A SEMANTIC MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE EXCHANGE BETWEEN MR WADDINGTON AND THE MINISTER OF INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION. THE LATTER
(ALTHOUGH HE DOES HAVE THE ULTIMATE SAY AS REGARDS WHO CAN RESIDE IN PORTUGAL) IS UNLIKELY TO HAVE ANY GREAT KNOWLEDGE OF WAHT IS HAPPENING IN MACAU AND IT WOULD SEEM UNWISE TO USE PUBLICLY OR PUT MUCH RELIANCE ON THE FIGURES HE GAVE. CATARINO, THE HEAD OF THE INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMISSION, TOLD COUNSELLOR AS RECENTLY AS 20 APRIL THAT THE NUMBERS INVOLVED WERE STILL 80-100,000 (RECORD COPIED TO YOU). A GOOD SOURCE IN THE PORTUGUESE IMMIGRATION WITH WHOM WE CHECKED ON 4 MAY SAID THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO GIVE ANY FIRM
FIGURE. I DOUBT IF THE PORTUGUESE HAVE ANY CLEAR IDEA YET OF THE NUMBERS INVOLVED, IF THEY EVER WILL HAVE, BUT I SUGGEST NEVERTHELESS THAT IT WOULD BE SAFER TO WORK ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE FIGURES WILL BE HIGHER RATHER THAN LOWER. WE WILL NEVERTHELESS DISCUSS THE MINISTERS' FIGURES WITH MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR OFFICIALS IN ORDER TO COMPARE THEM WITH THOSE OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND
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