CONFIDENTIAL
VISIT BY MR PETER BLAKER MP TO HONG KONG: 23-25 SEPTEMBER 1979
IEF NO. HK3b:
SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE GOVERNOR
IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA
Hong Kong Government Folicy
1. (i) Legal Immigrants: Chinese citizens with valid travel docu-
ments 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 per-
mission 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.
Current Position
2. Legal Immigration
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 by
December.
70,000 legal immigrants entered Hong Kong from China in
the whole of 1978. In January the rate began to decline but has now
steadied at about 170 a day three times the level considered
acceptable. More than 50,000 legal immigrants have entered so far
this year.
3.
Illegal 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 until last year.
Greater freedom of movement in China then led to a sharp increase:
over 8,000 illegal immigrants were repatriated in 1978, and probably
CONFIDENTIAL
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