TNAG-0094-FCO40-130-Control-of-immigration-into-UK-from-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 42

CYPHER/CAT A

CONFIDENT IAL

R.Sid

Pe. put this on our

for

record.

Aus

13,11,67

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TO BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION

IMMEDIATE

TELNO Y CIRCULAR 86

CONFIDENTIAL.

10 NOVEMBER 1967

(GM)

file 4

RECEIVED IN

ARCHIVES No. 63 13 NOV 1967

HWB18755

ADDRESSED TO Y CIRCULAR TELEGRAM NO. 86 OF 10 NOVEMBER REPEATED FOR INFORMATION SAVING TO DAR ES SALAAM AND SALISBURY.

CHANGES IN THE EMPLOYMENT VOUCHER SCHEME.

ON 13 NOVEMBER MINISTERS WILL BE CONSIDERING POSSIBLE CHANGES IN VOUCHER SCHEME ON LINES DESCRIBED IN PARA. 3 BELOW.

BUT

2. VOUCHER SCHEME IS BASIS OF CONTROL OF IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED FOR PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT. IT WAS LAST REVIEWED IN 1965 (SEE WHITE PAPER CMND. 2739) BUT IT NOW FAILS ADEQUATELY TO MEET REQUIREMENTS OF IMMIGRANTS OR OF UNITED KINGDOM. ALL IMMIGRANTS SUFFER BY REASON OF LONG WAITING LISTS. MANY IMMIGRANTS WITH NOMINAL QUALIFICATIONS FAIL TO FIND APPROPRIATE EMPLOYMENT AND BETTER QUALIFIED APPLICANTS FIND THEIR WAY BLOCKED BY THE LESS SKILLED. IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THERE ARE MANY IMMIGRANTS GIVING VALUABLE SERVICE. THERE ARE ALSO MANY ENGAGED ON WORK OF LESS ECONOMIC VALUE E.G. IN FOOD AND CATERING SERVICES. VOUCHERS ARE BEING WASTED ON TEACHERS WHO CANNOT TEACH, AND ON GRADUATES WHO CANNOT FIND JOBS APPROPRIATE TO THEIR PAPER QUALIFICATIONS, WHILE VALUABLE POTENTIAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE TO WAIT. PROPOSALS NOW UNDER CONSIDERATION

ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE SITUATION BY INTRODUCING SELECTIVITY INTO

CATEGORY A AND BY INCREASING SELECTIVITY IN CATEGORY B. ONE PROPOSAL

IS DESIGNED TO DEMONSTRATE SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY WHICH U.K. GOVERNMENT HAS FOR THOSE TERRITORIES WHICH ARE STILL DEPENDENT.

3. PROPOSALS UNDER CONSIDERATION ARE AS FOLLOWS:- (A) PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A SEPARATE QUOTA OF EMPLOYMENT VOUCHERS FOR DEPENDENT TERRITORIES EXCEPT MAURITIUS (WHICH WILL BECOME INDEPENDENT EARLY NEXT YEAR). QUOTA WOULD BE SIMILAR TO THAT ALREADY ESTABLISHED FOR MALTA. IT WOULD DEMONSTRATE OUR SPECIAL

INTEREST IN AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEPENDENT TERRITORIES. MOST OF THESE ARE SMALL AND IMMIGRATION IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR

/THEM.

LABT

per

CONFI DEN TI AL