TNAG-0905-FCO40-1115-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 144

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من بلد الا بالله من الماء من موالي

CONFIDENTIAL

1250

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 2691007

PEKING

HKK 341

RECEIVED IN REGSTRY NO. 51 (30 MAY 1979

DEST CF

INDEX

PEGISTRY

FM HONG KONG 251050Z MAY 79

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO.648 OF 25 MAY,

INFO IMMEDIATE

ROUTINE

PEKING,

• HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON,

See 7.83 85

89

82

MY TELNO.586: IMMIGRATION.

1. WE ARE NOW FACING A POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE HIXTURE OF

IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS WHICH I THINK REQUIRES EARLY ACTION,

2.

CHINA.

THE FIGURES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES:-

A) LEGALS. TOTAL THIS YEAR : 35,290. CURRENT RATE 191 PER DAY,

OR 6,000 FOR THIS MONTH,

(B) ILLEGALS. 29,000 ARRESTED THIS YEAR (OF WHOM 10,000 THIS MONTH),

ESTIMATED EVADERS THIS YEAR: 60,000.

(C) COMBINED LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION SO FAR THIS YEAR: 95,000.

PROJECTION FOR YEAR AT THIS RATE: 228,803.

3.

PROJECTION FOR YEAR AT RATE OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

THIS MONTH: 408,809.

THE LEGAL FIGURES HAVE BEEN DROPPING SLOWLY. MONTHLY FIGURES

SINCE JANUARY HAVE BECN1-

8,020, 7,600, 7,600, 6,890,

6,000.

THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO OUR REPRESENTATIONS AND NONA SAY THE NUMBERS

WILL CONTINUE TO DROP, BUT THEY ARE STILL MORE THAN TREBLE OUR

TARGET OF 1550 A MONTI!. NCNA PERSISTENTLY DEFER THE DISCUSSIONS

WE HAVE ASKED FOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT YET AUTHORITY FOR

**CONCRETE MEASURES". THEY ARE NO DOUBT IN A DIFFICULT POSITION

AND DOING THEIR BEST.

CONFIDENTIAL

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