TNAG-0528-FCO40-623-Departmental-briefs-on-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 11

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Applications have run at about 700 a year and the total approved from 1 January 1965 to 31 December 1974 is 7,285. 70% of these applicants were of Chinese origin. There are about 1,200 people who acquire British nationality by registration each year: these are essentially the dependents of naturalised British subjects.

6.

The number of British subjects in Hong Kong thus increases substantially every year and so, equally, does the contingent immigration liability. This might seem to argue for a speedy withdrawal from Hong Kong: the difficulty is that immigration liability is already too great for us to recommend such a course

to Ministers.

7.

N&TD and M&VD concur.

2 October 1975

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Sir D Watson)

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Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.

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