TNAG-0906-FCO40-1116-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 46

GPS 215

CONFIDENTIAL

213

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY FCO 290900Z

FM HONG KONG 290343Z OCT 79

HKK 341/1

RECEIVED IN REGACY NO. 51 29.907 1879

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO.1517 OF 29 OCTOBER,

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING.

1.

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

No

MY TELNO.1516 : IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.

212

PA

L

A

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ARRESTS HAVE AGAIN INCREASED SHARPLY.. DURING THE 24 HOUR PERICD TO 0622 TODAY SECURITY FORCES ARRESTED 684 ILLEGALS. THE FIGURE FOR THE PREVIOUS DAY WAS 510. THAT MAKES APPROXIMATELY 2,300 ARRESTED IN FOUR DAYS, OR 9,500 SO FAR

THIS MONTH.

AN

215

22.0

2. THE MAIN FLOW OF ARRIVALS DURING THE PAST TWO DAYS HAS COME FROM THE WEST (THE PEARL RIVER) RATHER THAN THE EAST (AS IN THE PERIOD REFERRED TO IN MY TEL UNDER REF). GOOD SEA CONDITIONS HAVE PROBABLY ENCOURAGED ILLEGALS TO MAKE THE ATTEMPT. ADDITIONAL FACTOR COULD BE THAT TODAY IS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY (CHUNG

YANG FESTIVAL) AND POTENTIAL ILLEGALS MAY HOPE THAT OUR GUARD WILL

BE LOWEREDD. WHATEVER THE REASON FOR THE EXODUS, THE LARGE NUMBERS INVOLVED SHOW THAT THE CHINESE SECURITY FORCES LACK EITHER THE WILL OR THE ABILITY TO EXERCISE SUFFICIENT CONTROL.

3. THE LATEST FIGURES, AND SUCH DETAILS AS WE HAVE OF POINTS OF

DEPARTURE, HAVE BEEN PASSED LOCALLY TO NCNA. WE SUGGEST THAT THESE REPRESENTATIONS SHOULD NOW BE REINFORMCED BY AN APPRO ACH IN PEKING. IF THE PRIME MINISTER RAISES THIS PROBLEM WITH HUA TODAY THE EMBASSY MIGHT TOMORROW FOLLOW-UP WHATEVER IS SAID WITH DETAILS OF THE LATEST FIGURES AND A REQUEST THAT URGENT ACTION

BE TAKEN TO STEM THE FLOOD.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HK & GD

FED

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

SEAD

UND

PS/MR RIDLEY

MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY

CONFIDENTIAL