TNAG-0663-FCO40-812-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 71

GR 200A

F

4 APR 1977

EN CLAIR

NICK 3V)/301

ADO 201

FM WASHINGTON @118427

UNCLASSIFIED

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TEL NO 19 OF 1 APRIL 1977

INFO FCO

MIPT: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

1. FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF INCOMING LETTER:

{**}

*.

NEXT

REF.

1(26

QUOTE: I UNDERSTAND THAT SINCE DECEMBER 1974 IT HAS BEEN THE POLICY OF HONG KONG OFFICIALS TO FORCIBLY RETURN REFUGEES ESCAPING FROM CHINA. I BELIEVE THOSE THUS FAR RETURNED NUMBER IN THE HUNDREDS, THOUGH THOUSANDS OF OTHERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACQUIRE REFUGEE STATUS. THIS POLICY OF RETURNING REFUGEES TROUBLES ME GREATLY. IT IS AN ESPECIALLY DEVASTING BLOW IN CASES MIERE ONE, AT GREAT RISK, ESCAPES TO JOIN OTHERS OF ONE'S FAMILY ALREADY IN HONG KONG, BUT THEN FINDS ONESELF DEPORTED. SUCH A POLICY IS DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND, ESPECIALLY WHEN USED BY A NATION OF THE FREE WORLD. I ASSUME IT IS FOR POLITICAL REASONS, THOUGH I UNDERSTAND THAT. HONG KONG IS PHYSICALLY HARD PRESSED TO RECEIVE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES. COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME, IN AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE, THE ́ REACONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THIS POLICY. ALSO, WHY IS IT THAT SOME ARE RETURNED, YET OTHERS DO ACQUIRE REFUGEE STATUS? THANK YOU. UNQUOTE.

RAMSBOTHAM

FILES

it K D. (3)

FED

MVD