TNAG-0905-FCO40-1115-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 117

05:1

CONFIDENTIAL

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34-1/1

HKK 341|L

RECEIVED

Wile. $1

1 JUN 1970

DESK OFICER

XVDFX

PA

CONFLUENTIAL

PEYING 310813Z MAY 79

TO MEDIATE CO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 513 or 31 MAY 79

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

MIPT:

IMMIGRATION

512

OP COPY

(99)

See /109

I THANKED ZHANG FOR HIS STATEMENT WHICH I OULD TRANSMIT AND AGREED WITH HIM THAT WE APPROACHED THIS IMPORTANT PROBLEM AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF GOOD RELATIONS AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, I WAS NEVER DISAPPOINTED BY THE REPLY.

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1 BEGAN BY REFERRING TO THE LORD PRY SEAL'S REMARKS TO THE CHINESE ANBAGSADOR TO THE EFFECT THAT THE INFLUX OF VIEW MANESE REFUGEES INTO HONG KONG CONNINED WITH THE VERY HIGH LEVEL OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL

ENIORATION FROM CHINA WAS CAUSING US GREAT CONCERN.

AS REGARDS LEGAL IMMIGRATION, VE WERE RELIEVED THAT THE FIGURES WERE DROPPING, BUT THEY WERE STILL SEVERAL THOUSAND A MONTH HIGHE) THAN WAS ACCEPTABLE TO THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES. OUR FIGURES FOR MAY WERE 187 A DAY SO FAR. WE WOULD HAVE TO REVIEW THE SITUATION EACH MONTH AND THE UK COVERNMENT HOULD BE CONSIDERING WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HOW BEST TO DEAL WIN! THE PROBLEM.

I CONTINUED THAT ILLECAL IMMIGRATION WAS NOW, HOWEVER, AN INFINITELY MORE SERIOUS PROBLEN. VE VERE ARRESTING AS MANY AS 420 A DAY 1 HAY AND THE RECENT FIGURES WERE MUCH RICHER (300 ON 28 MAY, 850 ON 29 MAY AND 840 ON 30 HAY). WE ALSO HAD TO ALLOW FOR THE FACT THAT ONLY A PROPORTION, BETWEEN A QUARTER ANDA HALF, OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

ERE ACTUALLY CAUGHT. IN HONG KONG SEVERAL THOUSAND COLDIERS AND POLICE AND NAVY HAD TO BC DIRECTED TO THIS

WORK.

WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND HOW ILLEGAL DEPARTURES FROM

CONFIDENTIAL

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CHINA