CONFIDENTIAL
120015
MDHIAN 4718
THE POPULATION. THE CANADIAN AUTHORITIES, HOWEVER, ANNOUNCED RECENTLY THAT APPLICATIONS FOR IMMIGRANT VISAS HAD FALLEN BY 50 PERCENT IN THE LAST YEAR. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL WHETHER THERE
IS ANY LONG-TERM SIGNIFICANCE IN THIS OR WHAT THE REASONS FOR IT ARE. ON FACTOR IS ALMOST CERTAINLY DEPRESSED ECONOMIES OF THE MAIN DESTINATION COUNTRIES. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS ARE ELUSIVE, IT IS CLEAR THAT MORE EMIGRANTS ARE NOW RETURNING TO HONG KONG.
LAW AND ORDER
21. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC CONCERN OVER A CONTINUING WAVE
OF ARMED ROBBERIES AND PARTICULARLY THE GROWING LINK BETWEEN THE
MAINLAND AND CRIME IN HONG KONG. THE COMMUNITY FEARS THAT THIS CONNECTION MAY RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT PERMANENT INCREASE IN VIOLENT AND ORGANISED CRIME AND IN CORRUPTION, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER 1997, WHICH THE POLICE WILL BE RELATIVELY POWERLESS TO PREVENT. SUCH UNCERTAINTIES ARE NOT ALLAYED BY THE APPARENT COMPLICITY IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES OF SOME CHINESE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND ALSO THEIR INCURSIONS INTO HONG KONG WATERS.
22. DESPITE THESE ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE POLICE HAVE HAD CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS. THEIR DETECTION RATE REMAINS HIGH. THE CHALLENGE TO THE DISCIPLINED SERVICES OF MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS OF SECURITY IN A CROWDED URBAN COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A MAJOR WORLD AIR AND SEA PORT, WOULD BE DAUNTING AT THE BEST OF TIMES. THE ADDED BURDEN OF THE SENSITIVE FRONTIER WITH THE PRC, THE CONTINUED FLOW OF ILLEGAL PRC IMMIGRANTS AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE IN THE CAMPS HERE MAKE THEIR TASK ACUTELY DIFFICULT. THEY ARE TACKLING IT WELL, DESPITE GRUMBLES FROM STAFF ASSOCIATIONS ABOUT PAY AND LACK OF RESOURCES.
VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS
23. THE COMMUNITY WAS SHOCKED BY THE TRAGIC DEATH OF 24 VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS AS A RESULT OF ARSON. THIS TRAGEDY OCCURRED
JUST AS THERE HAD BEEN A WELCOME IMPROVEMENT IN THE SEVERITY OF
THE VIETNAMESE PROBLEM. THE REPATRIATION PROGRAMME HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLY SUCCESS WITH SOME 5,000 RETURNING VOLUNTARILY TO VIETNAM IN THE FOUR MONTHS TO THE END OF JANUARY. AT THE SAME TIME, THE NUMBER OF MIGRANTS REACHING HONG KONG HAS ALMOST COMPLETELY DRIED UP. CONSEQUENTLY, THE CAMP POPULATION HAS FALLEN FROM A PEAK OF 64,312 IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR TO 58,000 ON 26 FEBRUARY. ALL THIS IS A SOURCE OF GREAT RELIEF TO THE COMMUNITY. THE PUBLIC IS NOW KEEN TO SEE AGREEMENT BEING REACHED ON THE
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