TNAG-0803-FCO40-1007-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 51

GPS 172

UNCLASSIFIED

JKMIS GENEVA 1211452 DEC 78

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELNO 81 OF 12 DECEMBER 78

INFO PRIORITY FCO, HONG KONG AND WASHINGTON

INFO SAVING HANOI

165

See 171

HKK 341/1

341/100

RECEIVED IN REBÍRY NO. AT 14 DEC 1978

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

ملا

PA

768

Action Taken

pour CLE

ри

PARA.3 OF FCO TELNO 795 TO PEKING: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA

1.

FOLLOWING IS EXTRACT RELATING TO HONG KONG FROM MR LUARDS STATEMENT OF 11 DECEMBER TO UNHCR CONSULTATIONS ON INDO-CHINESE

REFUGEES.

4

2

QUOTE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, DESPITE THE SERIOUS AND DIFFICULT REFUGEE PROBLEM FROM OTHER SOURCES WHICH IT FACES, HAS AGREED TO MAKE SUCH AN UNDERTAKING. IT HAS ACCEPTED REFUGEES FROM SHIPS WHOSE FIRST PORT OF CALL IS HONG KONG AND REFUGEES ARRIVING IN THEIR OWN CRAFT: AND THIS DESPITE THE CONSIDERABLE CVERCROWDING IN THIS SMALL TERRITORY, WHICH HAS SEEN ITS POPULATION GROW FROM 1/2 MILLION TO 4.7 MILLION IN THE LAST THIRTY YEARS AND HAS MANY OTHER REFUGEES FROM ELSEWHERE. OVER

1,380 IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA ENTER HONG KONG LEGALLY AND ANOTHER 1.3,000 ILLEGALLY EACH MONTH. DESPITE THIS BURDEN SINCE EARLY 1275 HONG KONG HAS PROVIDED TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT SHELTER FOR ABOUT 14,000 INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES, OF WHICH 12,000 HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT. UNQUOTE.

CO PLEASE PASS SAVING TO HANOI.

MURRAY.

FILES

HK.GD

[REPEATED AS PEQUESTED]

!

UND

SE AD

FED

PS

PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS

PL/PUS

MR.CORTAZZI

MR.MURRAY

COPIES TO:

HKGO.,LONDON.