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THE PAST FEW WEEKS. YOUR VISIT WILL BE AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO COUNTERACT SOME OF THE NEGATIVE PUBLICITY THAT HAS RESULTED FROM DIFFERENCES WITH THE CHINESE OVER PADS AND MARTIN LEE'S OWN INDEPENDENT LINE ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. HOWEVER YOU SHOULD EXPECT A FAIRLY SCEPTICAL AUDIENCE.
BARDER
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TELNO 356
OF 041715Z APRIL 91
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#WOER
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! APR 1991 Q DIST?
TOP COPY
DESK OFFICE.
INDEX
PA
FOR PAUL, HKD VISITING
YOUR TELNO 457: NATIONALITY INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE
1.
FOLLOWING IS THE LIST OF COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE COME UP WITH
ASSURANCE SCHEMES.
(A) BELGIUM - BELGIANS, WHO DO NOT OBJECT TO US REFERRING PUBLICLY TO THEIR SCHEME, ARE OFFERING PERMANENT BELGIAN RESIDENCE PERMITS TO ABOUT 50 EMPLOYEES OF BELGIAN COMPANIES IN HONG KONG WITHOUT THE NEED FOR LEGISLATION.
(B) DENMARK
-
DANES WORKING ON WORK PERMIT BASED SCHEME TO GIVE SOME 100-150 KEY EMPLOYEES OF DANISH COMPANIES AND THEIR
FAMILIES ASSURANCE OF RESIDENCE IN DENMARK UNDER EXISTING LEGISLATION. PERMITS WOULD BE GRANTED PROVIDING THEIR EMPLOYERS UNDERTOOK TO FIND THEM A JOB IF THEY WENT TO DENMARK. PRECISE DETAILS YET TO BE WORKED OUT. NOT PUBLIC.
-
(C) FRANCE THE QUAI AGREE THAT WE MAY SAY IN PUBLIC THAT
FRANCE IS TAKING MEASURES TO REASSURE ESSENTIAL STAFF WORKING
FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES IN HONG KONG. PRIVATELY SCHEME IS EXPECTED TO COVER ABOUT 1,500 HEADS OF HOUSEHOLDS (IE ABOUT 15 PER CENT OF LOCALLY-EMPLOYED STAFF).
(D) GERMANY - GERMAN SCHEME IS TO PROVIDE RIGHT OF ABODE FOR UP TO 1,000 HONG KONG PERSONNEL OF GERMAN COMPANIES. THE SCHEME HAS BEEN DELAYED BECAUSE OF PREOCCUPATION WITH REUNIFICATION BUT
IT WAS PUBLICISED BY A GERMAN MINISTER OF STATE IN JULY 1990.
T
(E) ITALY - ITALIANS HAVE INTRODUCED AN 'ADMINISTRATIVE DEVICE TO GIVE RIGHT OF ABODE TO ''SEVERAL HUNDRED'' EMPLOYEES
OF ITALIAN FIRMS IN HONG KONG. COMPANIES MUST DRAW UP CONTRACTS MAKING THE STAFF ITALIAN BASED RATHER THAN LOCALLY ENGAGED AND THUS GIVING AN AUTOMATIC RIGHT OF ABODE IN ITALY. ALTHOUGH ALREADY PUBLIC ITALIANS HAVE ASKED US NOT TO REFER TO THEIR SCHEME BECAUSE OF DOMESTIC SENSITIVITIES OVER IMMIGRATION, AND
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THAT BY USING THIS''DEVICE'' PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL WAS NOT
REQUIRED.
(F) LUXEMBOURG WILL ISSUE MULTIPLE ENTRY VISAS BACKED BY GUARANTEES OF WORK AND RESIDENCE PERMITS TO ABOUT 15 EMPLOYEES OF LUXEMBOURG COMPANIES IN HONG KONG. THE SCHEME HAS NOW BEEN
AGREED AND PUBLICISED.
(G) NETHERLANDS
-
THE DUTCH FOREIGN MINISTER HAS AGREED TO LOOK AGAIN AT POSSIBILITY OF ISSUING ADVANCE RESIDENCE PERMITS WHICH WOULD NOT REQUIRE LEGISLATION. PROSPECTS NOT VERY HOPEFUL.
(H) SINGAPORE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT ARE CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING THEIR EXISTING SCHEME FOR BLUE COLLAR WORKERS AND INTRODUCING SEPARATE ARRANGEMENTS
FOR EXECUTIVES.
-
(I) SWEDEN THE SWEDES HAVE NO PLANS TO MODIFY THEIR EXISTING
IMMIGRATION LAW SPECIFICALLY FOR HONG KONG. BUT THERE IS FLEXIBILITY WITHIN EXISTING LAWS TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES OF SWEDISH FIRMS TO GET SHORT TERM ENTRY PERMITS WHICH CAN BE CONVERTED TO
PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMITS. THEY WOULD NOT WISH THIS TO BE ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY.
(J) USA - NEW IMMIGRATION ACT APPROVED BY CONGRESS. THE
FOLLOWING HONG KONG PROVISIONS ARE INCLUDED:
(A) THE ANNUAL QUOTA FOR HONG KONG WILL BE 10,000 VISAS PER YEAR FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, RISING THEREAFTER, IN A NEW FORMULATION, TO ''THE FULL PER COUNTRY CEILING''. WHICH COULD AMOUNT TO AN ANNUAL HONG KONG QUOTA APPROACHING 25,000.
(B) 12,000 VISAS PER YEAR FOR 3 YEARS, BEGINNING 1991, WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO HONG KONG RESIDENTS WHO ARE EMPLOYEES OF US BUSINESSES, WITH A JOB OFFER FROM A US COMPANY.
(C) VISAS ARE EXTENDED UNTIL DECEMBER 2001.
(D) THERE ARE SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR THE LOCALLY EMPLOYED
STAFF OF THE US CONSULATE GENERAL.
2. THERE HAVE BEEN INDICATIONS THAT POLAND, CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND HUNGARY ARE WILLING TO OFFER CITIZENSHIP OR PERMANENT RESIDENCY TO HONG KONG PEOPLE. THEIR MAIN AIM IS TO ENTICE INVESTMENT
INTO THEIR COUNTRIES AND OUR ASSESSMENT IS THAT THEY ARE MERELY