TNAG-0904-FCO40-1114-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 72

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(B) WE THEREFORE WELCOME THE CHINESE PROPOSAL TO ISSUE SINGLE

JOURNEY PERMITS ON A VERY RESTRICTED BASIS. PROVIDED THAT THIS REDUCES THE NUMBERS FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE TO TY A DAY THE NEED FOR RESTRICTIONS BY HONG KONG IN RESPECT

OF THIS CATEGORY WILL NOT ARIVE.

(C) UNTIL THIS FIGURE HAS BEEN REACHED AND MAINTAINED FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE SITUATION HAS BEEN BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL, WE WOULD HAVE TO REGARD ALL WHO ARRIVE AS POTENTIAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS. FOR THE TIME BEING, THEREFORE, WE CONSIDER THE TWO-WAY PERMIT PROPOSAL AS PREMATURE UNLESS THE OVERALL NUMBERS OF HOLDERS OF ALL TYPES OF PERMITS ARRIVING AT LOWU ARE UNDER FIFTY A DAY.

(D)

HOWEVER ONCE THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL WE WOULD GLADLY WORK OUT MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR GENUINE SHORT VISITS AS ENVISAGED IN THE CHINESE PROPOSAL FOR TWO-WAY PERMITS, HOWEVER WE DO NOT SEE HOW WE COULD ARRANGE TO SEND BACK OVERSTAYERS UNLESS:-

(1) THE NUMBERS WERE SMALL (AT ANY RATE TO START WITH), (11) THE LENGTH OF VISIT WAS KEPT FAIRLY SHORT, (111) THE HOST IN HONG KONG TO BE VISITED ENTERED INTO A WRITTEN AGREEMENT WITH THE H.K.GOVERNMENT, IN ADVANCE, THAT THE VISITORS WOULD LEAVE WITHIN A SPECIFIED PERIOD. THIS WOULD MEAN IN PRACTICE THAT PERSONS WITH TWO-WAY PERMITS WOULD ONLY BE ADMITTED AT LOWU IF IN POSSESSION OF A COPY OF THE AGREEMENT REGARDING THEIR RETURN BETWEEN THEIR HOSTS AND THE

H.K.GOVERNMENT.

WE WERE ORIGINALLY HOPING TO DEVISE A SCHEME ALONG THE LINES OF PEKING TELNO.278. THIS IS WHY WE INCLUDED REFERENCE TO AN

BUT ENTRY PERMIT SYSTEM IN OUR SUGGESTED APPROACH TO THE CHINESE. THIS HAS BEEN OVERTAKEN BY THE CHINESE PROPOSALS, AND IN ANY CASE WE BELIEVE WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPRACTICABLE,

FOLLOWING THE NEW RESTRICTIONS ON THE INITIAL LENGTH OF STAY OF VISITORS TO HONG KONG INTRODUCED ON 15 JANUARY (MY TELNO.5) IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED OVER 80,000 REQUESTS FOR APPLICATIONS FORMS FOR ENTRY AND RESIDENCE. THE INTENTION IS CLEARLY TO GET ROUND THE NEW RESTRICTIONS.

/7. THESE

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