TNAG-0094-FCO40-130-Control-of-immigration-into-UK-from-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 52

4 million and an annual rate of increase of

possibly 100,000).

Here the impact of any

possible scle of migration to the b.k.

wold cle-rly be far less. The future

development of Hong Kong, however, depends on

the maintenance of confidence that the U.K.

will continue to pay regard to her interests.

Such confidence may well be weakened if,

seems possible, e make no special efforts

to protect Hong Kong's interests in any future

negotiations for joining the E.E.C. A gesture

of this kind, although of small importance in

itself, could be used to demonstrate the

.K.'s dontinuing interest in Hong Kong's

welfare.

ize of Quote

-ragraph 8 of the note recommends a

quota of 900 vouchers. This may seem large

but in fact is very much smaller than the

number of applications which were received when

the controls were first put on. The present

number of applications do not reflect the

real demand because long delays in recent years

in obtaining vouchera have discouraged

people from applying

There is little doubt

that a quota of 900 vouchers would be fully

taken up and could be said to meet the

essential needs of the dependent territories

and would enable us to demonstrate our

special responsibility for them.

Auninistrative

Grrangements wold be necessary to ensure that

the number of vouchers was reasonably well

distributed amongst the dependent territories,

although Hong Kong would get the major share

because