TNAG-0791-FCO40-995-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 169

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AKK उई!,

~ MAR 1278

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INDEX

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TO ROUTINE F.C.0 TELNO.326 OF 15 MARCH) 78!

INFO HANOI, VIENTIANE, BANGKOK,

INFO SAVING PEKING.

IMMIGRATION POLICY HONG KONG : ENTRY OF DEPENDANTS

FROM INDO-CHINA.

See 31

1, YOU WILL BE AWARE THAT INCE THE FALL OF SAIGON (30TH APRIL 75),

WE HAVE ACCEPTED FOR RESIDENCE A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF VIETNAM

AS RESIDENTS, SOME OF WHOM IN FACT ORIGINATED FROM KAMPUCHEA, CLOSE DEPENDANTS OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS, ALMOST ALL ARE ETHNIC

CHINESE. UP TO NOW,

UP TO NOW, A TOTAL OF 4,122 SUCH PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG, SOME BY WAY OF AIR FRANCE FLIGHTS BUT MOST BY WAY OF OUR CHARTERED FLIGHTS TO HO CHI MINH CITY. WE ESTIMATE THAT THERE ARE ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED PERSONS AUTHORISED TO ENTER HONG KONG STILL STRANDED IN VIETNAM AND WE HOPE TO BRING THEM HERE

BY THREE MORE CHARTERED FLIGHTS. (THE NEXT FLIGHT IS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH). WE BELIEVE WE WILL THEN HAVE ADMITTED MOST OF THOSE WHO HAVE A GENUINE CLAIM TO ENTER HONG KONG AS DEPENDANTS OF LONG-ESTABLISHED HONG KONG RESIDENTS,

2. THERE REMAIN, HOWEVER, ANOTHER 16,000 OUTSTANDING APPLICATIONS

FOR ENTRY FROM VIETNAM, OVER HALF OF WHICH WE WOULD HAVE TO ACCEPT UNDER OUR PRESENT IMMIGRATION POLICY. MOST OF THEM ARE DEPENDANTS OF THOSE WHO THEMSELVES ENTERED HONG KONG RECENTLY

AS DEPENDANTS OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS. IF THEY ARE ACCEPTED FOR RESIDENCE, THEY IN TURN CAN SPONSOR THE ENTRY OF THEIR OWN CLOSE RELATIVES. THIS PROBLEM OF ''DEPENDANTS OF DEPENDANTS' HAS CAUSED MUCH CONCERN IN HONG KONG AS IT COULD, WE ESTIMATE, EVENTUALLY HAVE LED TO AN ADDITION TO OUR POPULATION OF 150,000

OR MORE PEOPLE,

13.

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