TNAG-0850-FCO40-1060-Future-of-Hong-Kong-New-Territories-leases-1979 — Page 8

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WE CAN MOUNT THIS OPERATION ANY TIME FROM THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. ALTHOUGH WE HOPE THAT THE CHINESE WILL WOND

AT

WE ARE UP TO, I DO NOT THINK THEY WOULD HAVE ANY GROUNDS OBJECT.

THERE SEEMS THEREFORE NO REASON TO DELAY UNTIL AFTER THE RUA VISIT. INDEED, THERE IS ADVANTAGE IN ACTING BEFORE THE VISIT TO ENSURE THAT THE CHINESE FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM. UNLESS YOU ORR PEKING SES OBJECTION, I PROPOSE THEREFORE TO AUTHORISE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT TO GO AHEAD WITH THIS NEW PROCEDURE AS FROM WEDNESDAY, 24 OCTOBER.

5. WE WOULD WARN NCNA AND CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE ONE DAY IN ADVANCE, EXPLAINING THAT THE NEW MEASURES WERE INTENDED TO DEAL WITH THE

LARGE NUMBERS CROSSING THE BORDER AND TO ENSURE, IN PARTICULAR, MINIMUM DELAY FOR THOSE WITH FULL DOCUMENTATION. AS THIS WOULD

BE PURELY A LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURE, I SEE NO REASON TO SAY ANYTHING IN PEKING OR LONDON,

6. AS ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE NUMBER OF

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IS AGAIN REACHING ALARMING PROPORTIONS. AFTER

AVERAGING ABOUT 250 PER DAY FOR THE FIRST FIFTEEN DAYS OF OCTOBER, WHICH IS BAD ENOUGH, THE ARREST FIGURE ROSE TO 360 ON 16 OCTOBER

AND 448 ON 17 OCTOBER. EVEN LARGER NUMBERS HAVE BEEN SEEN TO

BE ARRESTED ON THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE FRONTIER. WE ARE IN FREQUENT CONTACT WITH NCNA ABOUT THESE LARGE MOVEMENTS OF ILLEGALS

AND HAVE EXPRESSED GRAVE CONCERN ABOUT THEIR IMPLICATIONS. THIS TREND CONTINUES I SHALL HAVE TO ASK FOR REPRESENTATIONS IN

PEKING AS WELL.'

MACHE HOSE

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MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY

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HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

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