TNAG-0843-FCO40-1053-Visit-of-Lord-Carrington--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1979 — Page 48

CONFIDENTIAL

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tensified (See Brief No 5).

6. The Chinese authorities have suggested that the Hong Kong

Government ought to repatriate illegals who evade capture and

surface later.

7.

This would be undesirable because it would

drive illegals underground and create enormous problems of

corruption, exploitation etc.

Consideration has been given to the possibility of imposing

controls on legal immigrants. This would be very unwelcome to

the Chinese Government, who consider that their nationals have.

a traditional right of free movement to Hong Kong (which they

regard as Chinese territory). The idea has not been pursued

while the figures appear to be moving in the right direction.

Hong Kong and General Department

21st June 1979

CONFIDENTIAL