TNAG-0374-FCO40-420-Discussions-with-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 107

relaxation are increasingly bleak because of the

large numbers of illegal immigrants from Hong

Kong who enter the Benelux countries under our

Visa Abolition Agreements with those countries,

many of whom filter across into Germany.

7.

Numbers of illegal immigrants have been

deported from the Netherlands to the UK and

thence at HMG's expense to Hong Kong. The

Belgians have deported numbers to Hong Kong

direct. We await a substantive reply from the

Governor on our proposals, that in making a

Ministerial approach to the Germans, the Home.

Office would undertake that no Hong Kong UK

passport holders deported from Germany via the

UK would be returned to Germany and that the

Hong Kong Government would undertake to refund

direct to the Germans the full deportation

expenses incurred by them.

8. It is not likely that a Ministerial

approach to the Germans will meet with any

success. The recent problems of UK passport

holders of Asian origin from East Africa

attempting to enter the UK via Europe has

caused most European countries, including

Germany, to tighten up very severely their

control of UK passport holders whose passports

do not show that they have the Right of Abode

in the UK. In these circumstances it seems

most unlikely that Germany would agree to

abolish visas for UK passport holders who now

need them.

- 4·

G

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN