TNAG-0911-FCO40-1121-Policy-on-housing-and-resettlement-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 143

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IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA

8. Hong Kong's housing programme is complicated by the

need to cope with a continuing high level of immigration from

China. Some 70,000 legal immigrants and an estimated 33,000

illegal immigrants from China entered Hong Kong in 1978.

The

Government have made representations to the Chinese Government.

We believe they understand the difficulties created for Hong

Kong by the present rate of arrivals, and are making genuine

efforts to reduce the numbers. In recent weeks there has been

some reduction, but the level is still far too high.

IMMIGRATION FROM VIETNAM

9. The Hong Kong boat people are not to be confused with

the Vietnamese small-boat refugees. The increasing numbers

of refugees from Vietnam who have been arriving in Hong Kong in recent weeks represent a growing problem for the Hong Kong authorities. Over 12,000 former residents of Vietnam are now

in Hong Kong awaiting resettlement elsewhere, in addition

to the 13,500 who have been allowed to settle there permanently

since 1975. The Government have agreed to allow 1,000

additional Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong to enter

the United Kingdom and have urged the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees, and other governments, to do all

they can to help.