TNAG-0906-FCO40-1116-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 73

CONFIDEN MAL

4. WE CAN MOUNT THIS OPERATION ANY TIME FROM THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. ALTHOUGH WE HOPE THAT THE CHINESE WILL WONDER WHAT WE ARE UP TO, I DO NOT THINK THEY WOULD HAVE ANY GROUNDS TO OBJECT.

THERE SEEMS THEREFORE NO REASON TO DELAY UNTIL AFTER THE HUA VISIT.

INDEED, THERE IS ADVANTAGE IN ACTING BEFORE THE VISIT TO ENSURE THAT THE CHINESE FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM. UNLESS YOU ORR PEKING SEE

OBJECTION, I PROPOSE THEREFORE TO AUTHORISE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT TO GO AHEAD WITH THIS NEW PROCEDURE AS FROM WEDNESDAY, 24 OCTOBER.

5.

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WE WOULD WARN NCNA AND CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE ONE DAY IN ADVANCE, EXPLAINING THAT THE NEW MEASURES WERE INTENDED TO DEAL WITH THE LARGE NUMBERS CROSSING THE BORDER AND TO ENSURE, IN PARTICULAR, MINIMUM DELAY FOR THOSE WITH FULL DOCUMENTATION. AS THIS WOULD BE PURELY A LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURE, I SEE NO REASON TO SAY - ANYTHING IN PEKING OR LONDON.

6. AS ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE NUMBER OF

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IS AGAIN REACHING ALARMING PROPORTIONS. AFTER

AVERAGING ABOUT 250 PER DAY FOR THE FIRST FIFTEEN DAYS OF OCTOBER, WHICH IS BAD ENOUGH, THE ARREST FIGURE ROSE TO 360 ON 16 OCTOBER AND 448 ON 17 OCTOBER. EVEN LARGER NUMBERS HAVE BEEN SEEN TO

BE ARRESTED ON THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE FRONTIER. WE ARE IN

FREQUENT CONTACT WITH NCNA ABOUT THESE LARGE MOVEMENTS OF ILLEGALS

AND HAVE EXPRESSED GRAVE CONCERN ABOUT THEIR IMPLICATIONS. IF

THIS TREND CONTINUES I SHALL HAVE TO ASK FOR REPRESENTATIONS IN

PEKING AS WELL. MACKEHOSE

FILES

HRED (4)

FED

MVO PUSD

MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY,

COPIES

то

HONG RONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

CONFIDENTAL