TNAG-0907-FCO40-1117-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 47

251.

GR 230

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 040800Z DEC

CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH O

HKK3HI RECEIVED IN FEMY NG. 51

ملو

OFFICER

979

PA

25.02.

REGISTRY

Alton Teku

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1699 OF 4 DECEMBER, 197 INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVT. OFFICE LONDON, PEKING AND MODUK (DS11).

249

MY TELNO 1692: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.

1. TWO POINTS OF SIGNIFICANCE EMERGE FROM THE NOVEMBER IMMIGRATION FIGURES WHICH MAY NOT BE READILY APPARENT.

1) ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

Lee (253

THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS FOR THE MONTH (OVER 9,000) IS MORE THAN

THE TOTAL FOR THE WHOLE YEAR (REPEAT YEAR) IN 1978 AND FAR MORE THAN FOR ANY YEAR IN THE PRECEDING DECADE. ONLY MAY, JUNE

AND OCTOBER THIS YEAR HAVE PRODUCED HIGHER MONTHLY FIGURES. (11) LEGAL IMMIGRATION.

THE TOTAL FOR THE MONTH (4,600) IS MARGINALLY DOWN FROM OCTOBER. BUT THE DROP IS ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY BY THE ABSENCE OF ANY CHINESE PASSPORT HOLDERS WITHOUT HONG KONG OR ONWARD VISAS. THE CHINESE NOW SEEM TO HAVE DEALT WITH THIS PARTICULAR ABUSE. DISREGARDING THIS CATEGORY, THE UNDER- LYING TREND OF PERMIT HOLDERS ALLOWED TO COME TO HONG KONG HAS REMAINED ALMOST LEVEL SINCE JULY: THE NUMBER IS IN FACT

SLIGHTLY UP FROM OCTOBER.

2. IN LIGHT OF CHINESE ASSURANCES ABOUT DEALING WITH ILLEGAL AND LEGAL EMIGRATION, CULMINATING IN HUA AND HUANG'S REMARKS IN LONDON AT THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER, BOTH (1) AND (11) PAINT A DEPRESSING PICTURE OF DEEDS NOT MATCHING WORDS.

CATER

FILES

HK & GD

FED

SEAD UND

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT. OFFICE

IN LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL