HONG KONG
CIVIL AFFAIRS POLICY DIRECTIVES
IMMIGRATION CONTROL
54132.
Second Draft
14/4/44.
1. The traditional policy of Hong Kong has always been
to encourage the free influx of Chinese, and for many years the
barometer of prosperity was felt to be the number of full and empty
tenements in the Colony. The chief inducements were law and order,
sanctity of contracts, better (if rather more expensive) social
services and the asylum for political refugees ensured by the terms
of the extradition treaties.
2.
Apart from this there was a very large daily traffic of
shoppers from a considerable area of South China, particularly in
the form of "travelling traders", who each executed commissions (including to some extent banking and foreign exchange transactions)
on behalf of the inhabitants of a village or a district.
contributed materially to the Colony's prosperity.
This
3. As the Colony has no natural resources whatever (unless a fine harbour can be so included) it must chiefly depend, as in the past, on its asset of goodwill. It will be the object, as soon as circumstances permit, to restore that free access on which the Japanese during their occupation have put drastic restrictions.
Although the long-term objective of unfettered ingress and egress must be kept in view, the provision of relief supplies in the Colony may be expected on first re-occupation to attract a very large influx of Chinese; and it will be necessary to aim at the restriction of this influx to those who are needed for the genuine
restoration of trade and industry and for the prosecution of the
ffort.
5. At the earliest stage the land frontier should be picketed and passage allowed at only one point, where a staff will be
required to examine the documentary evidence of genuine Hong Kong
residence produced by each intending immigrant. As soon as river-
boats start running a similar investigation service should be