CONFIDENTIAL
PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 050955%,
CONFIDENTIAL
O PRIORITY FCO TELNO 153 OF 5 MARCH
YOUR TELEGRAM GUIDANCE 35 : IMMIGRATION BILL FOR MONSON
LAST
REF.
NEW
REF.
IT SEEMS PROBABLE THAT THE NEW BILL WILL WORK TO THE UNFAIR
PISADVANTAGE OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS UNLESS CERTAIN POINTS ARE
UNDERSTOOD AND ALLOWED FOR IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION. I SHOULD BE
MOOT GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD ENSURE THAT CUR CASE IS MADE AT ALL
APPROPRIATE LEVELS WHEN THE MATTER IS FURTHER DISCUSSED IN
HITEHALL. THIS WILL GIVE GREATER CHANCES OF SUCCESS TO MY
ENDEAVOURS, THROUGH WRIGHT, TO DISCOURAGE THE HONG KONG
ASSOCIATION AND OTHERS FROM RAISING THE MATTER IN PARLIAMENT.
SUCH PUBLICITY WOOULD NOT, I THINK, BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS
OF HONG KONG,
2. WRIGHT IS AWARE OF THE BACKGROUND AND WILL BE GLAD TO HELP
WITH FURTHER INFORMATION,
3. THE SITUATION AS WE SEE IT AS AS FOLLOWS. THE NUMBER OF
PERMIT HOLTERS FROM HONG KONG WHO WILL BE PERMITTED ENTRY TO
THE U.K. UNDER THE QUOTAS PROPOSED UNDER THE BILL (PARA. 8 OF
YOUR TELEGRAM) IS TO BE REDUCED. I ASSUME THAT THE INTENTION
IS THAT HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE, AS AT PRESENT 50 PERCENT OF THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES' CUCTA, WHICH IN PRACTICE MEANS A
REDUCTION FROM A MAXIMUM OF 330 TO 233 PERMITS PER YEAR. THIS
IS INADEQUATE, AND I WOULDFIND IT DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN
LOCALLY WHY HONG KONG SHOULD SUFFER A REDUCTION IN ITS PRESENT
ALLOCATION OF 390.
4. IN RECENT YEARS HONG KONG'S QUOTA OF EMPLOYMENT PERMITS
HAS BEEN ALMOST FULLY USED AND THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A WAITING
LIST, AS EVIDENCED BY THE FOLLOWING HOME OFFICE FIGURES
FOR 1968 AND 1969 (THE DETAILED 1972 FIGURES ARE I UNDERSTAND NOT
YET AVAILABLE):-
1968:
APPLICATIONS. RECEIVED: PERMITS ISSUED:
CATEGORY A
41€
CATEGORY B
18
TOTAL
267
26
434
293
CONFIDENTIAL
/1969:
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