TNAG-0904-FCO40-1114-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 125

Mr Murray

261

PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts

HONG KONG:

114

1.

Flag A

Flag B

Flag C

2.

Flag D

DSR8

19NSL

INSID

2811

HKK 341/1

RECEIVED HIS EN..

5FEB 1979

14

ra

INDEX

N.

PA

Acro

No West Chr

LETTER FROM MR W FERGUS MONTGOMERY MP

Mr W F Montgomery MP (Altrincham and Sale

Conservative)

wrote to Mr Tomlinson on 17 January about a letter he had received from a constituent, Miss R Kay, who expressed concern about the repatri- ation to China of illegal immigrants into Hong Kong.

Miss Kay's letter refers to a written answer in the House of Commons in which Mr Luard stated that more than 11,000 illegal immigrants had been handed back since 1974. Unfortunately, this reply contained an error (subsequently rectified in a letter to Mr Robert Parry, who had asked the question). The correct figures were given in reply to a subsequent question by Mr Patrick Wall MP on 19 July last year.

3.

Miss Kay is particularly concerned about what happens to illegal immigrants after their repatriation. There is in fact no reason to believe that they are harshly treated by the Chinese authorities.

4.

I recommend that Lord Goronwy-Roberts should reply to Mr Montgomery along the lines of the attached draft.

Rnvandrer

R JT McLaren

Hong Kong and General Department