CO537-4801 — Page 5

CONFIDENTIA.

54064/49

HOT L

(Brief for Dr. Kees. William)

in his visst & Hop Kap

CONTROL OF QUINS I MIGRATION

-ou-, 1949

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In the latter part of august, foreseeing that there might be an influ

of Chinese into the Colony when soa comamications with north and central

China were restored or when Canton fell, the Governor put forward proposals

for controlling Chinese inmigration. (Up to this time it had been the custom

to exempt Chinese arriving from China from the provisions of the law relating

to indgrants.) The Governor's proposals, in so far as they required

Chinese arriving from the Communist areas to possess ¡assports and visas,

were thought to prejudice “..G.'s position in relation to the questi n of

recognition of the Commist authoriti

thorities by

The Goverr

therefore asked to consider this aspect of the matter, but told at the same

time that he was not precluded from introducing control over arrivals from

the Nationalist areas.

2. Suitable revised proposals cvoiding the recognition issue vore

then submitted by the Governor and approval, and control of Chinese

immigration from North and central Châm has presumably been instituted.

In view of the practical effort involved an to avoid damage to the

Colony's economy, the Governor said that he would not extend control to

Chinese arriving from Canton and Macao unless and until the situation renderod

It had not been instituted by 14th Cctober.

it necessary.

REGISTRATI A JE ME KAULAIN

One of the security masures taken in Hong Fong has been the enactment

of legislation providing for the compulsory registration of the population.

Registration involves the taking of thumbprints and photographs and the laque

of identity cards and is being carried out in stages, taking different

ontegories of the population in turn, Thorocess began in August.

estimated that it would take about eight months to deal with the wholo

population.

It was

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