TNAG-0747-FCO40-951-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 104

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HKK 026|1.

CONFIDENTI AL

NOTES FOR THE VISIT OF MR H A

DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY, TO

TUESDAY. 25 APRIL

10.30 a.m.

CORTAZZI AW1973 HONG KONG

INDEX

PA

No Rs.2 Tir 19

Secretary for Security: Mr L M Davies CMG OBE (see also note for meeting with Police

Commissioner below)

a) Illegal Immigration

Immigration into Hong Kong reached a peak in 1973 when some 56,000 legal immigrants entered Hong Kong from China. As the Colony could not absorb such numbers indefinitely, an understanding was reached with China under which the Chinese Government agreed to limit the number of legal immigrants. In return, the Hong Kong authorities agreed that illegal immigrants caught actually at the border while trying to enter Hong Kong (estimated at 20% of those leaving China) would be returned to China. As a result, the rate of legal immigration fell to about 50 a day, though it has subsequently crept up again: the 1977 daily average was 73 legal immigrants and the February 1978 daily average was 97. Though this is still below the pre-1973 figure of over 150 per day, there are fears in Hong Kong that unless the rate eases off they may soon have to raise the subject again with the Chinese.

This subject has aroused a certain amount of parliamentary and public interest in this country, centred on the question of forced repatriation and on the treatment received by those returned to China. However, the available evidence suggests that those repatriated are not harshly treated. In a handful of cases the illegal immigrants have been given permission to stay, usually on humanitarian grounds. None of those repatriated fall within the accepted definition of refugees.

b) Narcotics

The Hong Kong Government is making a major effort to overcome the Colony's very serious drugs problem. In 1976, 12,913 people were prosecuted for drug offences and 3,553 kilograms of opium were seized. It is very difficult to verify what proportion this represents of the total volume entering the territory. But one clear indicator of the progress that is being made is that the wholesale price of illegal heroin has risen from HK$ 19,000 per kilogram in January 1976 to HK$50,000 now.

In addition, Hong Kong devotes considerable attention and resouroes to treatment of addicts: HK$27m. were budgeted for this in 1977. A daily total of over 15,000 people attend drug clinics or are included in their "after care" service. The most encouraging indication of Hong Kong's progress in this field is the diminishing proportion of young people attending such places.

CONFIDENTIAL