TNAG-0802-FCO40-1006-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 83

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DESKBY 139900Z

See 135 TOP OOTY

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FM HONG KONG 130858Z NOV 78

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1309 OF 13 NOVEMBER

133

YOUR TELNO 839: PQ FROM MR PARRY.

፣

HKK 341/1

INDEX

VED IN XEGAANY NO. 31

13 NOV 1978

No

but

134

Metion T kan

CLE

WE AGREE WITH YOUR PROPOSED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS (A) AND (B)M

2. QUESTION (C): LEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO 31 OCTOBER 1978 : 50,249.

3. QUESTION (D): WE WOULD PREFER NOT TO QUOTE PRECISE FIGURES BUT THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTED REPLY IS BASED ON A GENERALLY ACCEPTED

PRESENT RATIO OF 4 EVADERS TO EVERY PERSON ARRESTED AND

REPATRIATED:

QUOTE

IT WOULD BE MISLEADING TO GIVE PRECISE ANNUAL FIGURES SINCE ONLY

ROUGH ESTIMATES CAN BE MADE ON THE BASIS OF CLAIMS ABOUT ORIGIN MADE BY PEOPLE REGISTERING AT THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS

OFFICE IN HONG KONG, OFTEN MONTHS, SOMETIMES YEARS, AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL: A VERY ROUGH ESTIMATE IS THAT FROM JANUARY 1974 TO 31 OCTOBER 1973 ABOUT 52,000 PEOPLE HAVE ENTERED ILLEGALLY FROM CHINA (INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED ANS SUBSEQUENTLY REPATRIATED).

UNQUOTE.

4, QUESTION (E): ARRESTED AND REPATRIATED TO 31 OCTOBER 1978: 5045,

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HKYGD (0)

FS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS

HR CORTAZ22:

HI. MURRAY

COPIES TO:

Hong Kong Govt Office

LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL