TNAG-0495-FCO40-560-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 141

CONFIDENTIAL

be returned.

3.

If these and other groups are not returned

it seems unlikely that the Chinese will reduce the flow

It

of legal immigrants much below its present level. also seems probable (Peking telno. 160) that they would

make a real fuss over the reimposition of active

controls on legals. We doubt whether this would be in

your overall interest.

We agree that a respectable case could be

made for deporting innocent illegals on first entry.

(Your telno. 1276 of 6 November.) We would be inclined

to make the lapse of time after entry the normal

deciding factor, rather than whether the illegals were

still in the border area. This would be more explicable

to the Chinese Government and to public opinion here, and would cover those who came by sea. But in many cases it would be impossible to be sure how long the illegal had been in ilong Kong, and your point about the risk of disorders in the built-up areas is of course a valid one. We would expect that in certain circumstances a blind

eye would be needed.

5.

Although the return of innocent illegals might

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be conceivable, however, we still agree with the judgment in your telno. 1294 that this should not be contemplated except in conjunction with the reimposition of active

controls at Lowu. To do so prematurely would throw away a card; it would certainly lead to renewed pressure from the Chinese on allegedly criminal illegals, and it could lead to trouble in this country (para. 7 of your telno. 300). Since it also seems from Peking telno. 160 that the return of innocent illegals would not by itself be enough for the Chinese to agree to active Hong Kong controls on legals we one that, unless the pressure of illegal immigration

/itself

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