TNAG-0906-FCO40-1116-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 131

CONFIDENTIAL

IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA INTO HONG KONG

184

HKK3Hill

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 14 SEP 1979

DESK OFFICES

INDEX

PA

General

1.

200,000 immigrants from China have been absorbed into Hong Kong over the past 18 months. This compares with the level of about 25,000 a year which the Hong Kong Government regard as acceptable (25,000 is the approximate number of people leaving Hong Kong each year to take up residence in other countries this total of course does not include Vietnamese refugees).

Present Position: Illegals

2. The number of illegal immigrants arrested at the border dropped dramatically in June, following the introduction of much more effective controls on the Chinese side. In May, the daily average was 464; in July it was 21. But in August the figure was back up to 63 a day, and in the last week of August it was over 200. Last week (4 10 September) it fell somewhat

to 120.

CON

3. What these figures represent in terms of people entering Hong Kong depends on the proportion of those attempting to enter who are arrested. The security forces claim, on somewhat shakey evidence, that they are now detecting at least half of would-be illegal immigrants. Last year, the detection rate was less than one in four. Even a daily average of 20 arrests, therefore, represents an annual total of over 7,000 and possibly as many as 25,000 illegal immigrants successfully entering Hong Kong.

Present Position:

Legals:

4. The number of immigrants entering legally fell steadily from over 300 a day in December 1978 to 159 a day in July. But the downward trend has now halted: the August average was 175. week (4 10 September) it was 156.

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