CONFIDENTIAL
SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG:
29-30 JUNE
BRIEF NO 4: SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE GOVERNOR:
IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA
ESSENTIAL FACTS
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT POLICY
1. (i) Legal Immigrants: Chinese citizens with valid travel documents
are permitted to enter Hong Kong and, if they decline to return
to China, to remain in Hong Kong.
(ii) Illegal Immigrants: Those who leave China without the permis-
sion of the Chinese authorities and are detained by the security
forces while trying to enter Hong Kong are returned to China
within 24 hours. Those who evade capture and go to ground are
at present allowed to stay.
BACKGROUND AND CURRENT POSITION
2.
Legal Immigration
3.
Until last year, legal immigrants were arriving at a rate that
just about balanced normal emigration from Hong Kong 50 to 70
a day. In 1978, the figures rose sharply, to over 300 a day in
December. 70,000 legal immigrants entered Hong Kong from China
in the whole of 1978. Since January the rate has been dropping
steadily, but at over 150 a day so far in June is still unaccept-
ably high. 36,000 legal immigrants entered in the first five
months of the year.
1llegal Immigration
The policy of repatriating illegal immigrants was reintroduced
(it had also been used before 1967) in 1974. Together with
measures taken by the Chinese on their side of the border, it
was effective in keeping down the numbers to insignificant levels
CONFIDENTIAL
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