R
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Mr
Quantrill
Mr McLaren
cc: Mr Morgan, UND
Reference...
HKK 341/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
14 MAY 1929
DESK UPFICER
INDEX
PA
No
72
IMMIGRATION INTO HONG KONG
1.
Last week you asked for the up-to-date figures on legal and illegal immigration from China to Hong Kong for this year. Since we did not have them, I tried to get them from the Hong Kong Government Office. They did not have them either but my call prompted them to get them and they have just been passed to me.
2. They are as follows:
Illegals (arrested and returned)
Legals
January
1,886
10,693
February
2,567
11,049
March
6,419
10,343
April
8,322
8,721
May (19)
3,206
2,315
TOTAL
22,788
43,121
X
3.
These figures confirm your information that the number of illegals is going up as the legals go down. (The first nine days of May predict a total of illegals for the month of 10,047 and legals of 8,000 which means that the torals of the two win prize be
mienasing!
4. Based on the first four months, one can forecast a total of 300,000 from China and Vietnam for the year and that is assuming:
(a) that the totals, not the pattern, will remain the same; and (b) that only two illegals get through for every one that is
arrested. [If the historical ratio of 4:1 is still accurate, the figure will be 360,000.]
5. All this only confirms what we already know and illustrates to my mind the value of having the figures for China kept up-to-date here. I therefore recommend that we should ask Hong Kong to pro- vide a weekly return for these as they do for the Vietnamese refugees. This would, I know, not be a burden since the figures are readily available. If you agree I will send a telegram to this effect.
6. I am copying this minute to Mr Morgan (UND) because these figures only accentuate the urgency of the problem of the Vietnamese refugees.
Jviliamm
P J Williamson
10 May 1979
CODE 18-77
Hong Kong and General Department
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