TNAG-0981-FCO40-1200-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 102

CONFIDENTIAL

37

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 01094ØZ JAN

Buil

TO ROUTINE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE AKK 34ill TELEGRAM NUMBER 188 OF 1 FEBRUARY, 1980 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 INFO PEKING AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDONFEB 1980

ЗАА

YOUR TELNO 88: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.

DE

INDER

No

FOLLOWING FOR CLIFT, HKGD FROM POLITICAL ADVISER.

ICER

PA

REMR

10/3

REGISTRY

Action Taken

Aw "13.

1. THE STATISTICS ARE INDEED DISCOURAGING. WE WILL NOT, HOWEVER,

HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE NEW CHINESE

REGULATIONS UNTIL THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TRIALS OF THOSE

INVOLVED IN ORGANISING ESCAPES'' AND THAT LESSON HAS SUNK IN (SEE MY LETTER OF 23 JANUARY TO MCLAREN, FED). YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM THE BBC MONITORING AND MY TELNO 182 THAT SOME TRIALS

HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE. WE EXPECT MORE. IT WOULD BE UNREALISTIC

TO EXPECT ANY EFFECTS TO BE APPARENT BEFORE AT LEAST MID-FEBRUARY.

AT THAT POINT THE PICTURE WILL AGAIN BE DISTORTED BY THE LUNAR

NEW YEAR. THUS WE WILL NOT BE IN A POSITION TO GET AN ACCURATE

PICTURE OF THE TREND UNTIL ABOUT THE END OF FEBRUARY.

2. THE REFERENCE IN THE EXCO MINUTES WAS TO A REVIEW OF THE

EXISTING POLICY OF ALLOWING ILLEGALS WHO REACH BASE'' TO

REGISTER AND REMAIN. THIS REVIEW SHOULD BE COMPLETE BY ABOUT

THE END OF FEBRUARY. YOU WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE ARGUMENTS

FOR THE EXISTING POLICY WHICH MAKES A DECISION TO CHANGE

EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.

3. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER SUGGESTING ANY CHANGES

TO OVERALL POLICY ON IMMIGRATION UNTIL AFTER THE END OF

FEBRUARY WHEN THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM WE HAVE TO FACE

WILL BE CLEARER. MEANWHILE WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN

PRESSURE ON THE CHINESE ABOUT BOTH ILLEGAL AND LEGAL IMMIGRATION.

CONFIDENTIAL

14.