TNAG-0880-FCO40-1090-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 49

emphasising in particular the strain that is placed on Hong Kong's

social services. We believe that they understand the problem, and

are making efforts to control the numbers. During January, the figure

fell to about 200 a day, but even at this level the rate of arrivals

poses a serious problem for Hong Kong.

9. There is an almost equally serious problem with illegal

immigrants.

In an effort to control the numbers of people seeking

to enter Hong Kong without Chinese exit permits, it was agreed with

the Chinese authorities in 1974 that Hong Kong would return all

illegal immigrants who were caught at the border. Any who succeed

in reaching the urban areas, however, are allowed to remain, and it

is estimated that over 30,000 entered Hong Kong in this way during

1978. Although the repatriation policy is applied as humanely as

possible, and there is no evidence that those who are repatriated

are harshly treated, the policy remains a sensitive issue and makes

it difficult therefore for the Hong Kong Government to adopt a

liberal policy towards the Vietnamese refugees.

10. A new dimension he been added with the arrival in Hong Kong

in recent months of several boat loads of people of Vietnamese

origin who appear to have gone first to China and remained there

for some time before moving on to Hong Kong. Since there is strong

evidence that many of them had been accepted for resettlement in

China, the Hong Kong Government regard them as illegal immigrants,

and have tried to send them back to China. The Chinese, however,

have so far declined to accept them, though consultations on the

problem are continuing.