TNAG-0981-FCO40-1200-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 164

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SHOULD BE HANDED OVER WITHOUT LEGAL FORMALITY): BUT HE DID NOT PRESS THE POINT WHEN GEORGE SAID THAT IF CAUGHT ON FIRST ENTRY

THEY WOULD BE REPATRIATED BUT THAT THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES OVER

DEALING WITH THOSE APPREHENDED LATER OTHER THAN THROUGH THE

COURTS.

3. ON LEGAL EMIGRATION WANG INDICATED THAT THE CHINESE

AUTHORITIES HAD TAKEN NECESSARY MEASURES EG OVER PEOPLE GOING TO THIRD COUNTRIES, AND HE TOOK NOTE OF OUR REPRESENTATIONS. HE REFERRED HOWEVER TO THE DIFFICULTIES FOR THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES

IF THEY DID NOT ISSUE PERMITS TO THOSE WHO HAD A GOOD REASON TO

GO TO HONG KONG. HE THOUGHT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES SHOULD

PERSUADE THOSE WHOSE PERMITS HAD EXPIRED TO RETURN, AND

QUESTIONED THE RELIABILITY OF THE LOW FIGURE GIVEN FOR THE PROPORTION RETURNING TO CHINA. GEORGE SAID THAT THE LOW FIGURE

COUDLD INDEED BE SUBSTANTIATED AND THAT EFFORTS WERE MADE TO PERSUADE PEOPLE TO RETURN, BUT THAT THERE WERE SEVERE POTENTIAL DIFFICULTIES IN APPLYING MORE THAN PERSUASION. THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES, HE UNDERSTOOD, DİD ÎN FACT APPLY LIMITS TO THE NUMBERS OF PERMITS: IT WAS A MATTER OF TIGHTENING UP STILL MORE STRICTLY. WANG TOOK NOTE AND SAID THE REPRESENTATION WOULD BE

CONSIDERED FURTHER

COMMENT

4. THIS IS FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT, WHILE READY TO HELP OVER

ILLEGALS, THE CHINESE AUTHORITES ARE NOT READY TO DO MUCH MORE OVER LEGALS, AT LEAST NOT YET OR PERHAPS IN THE ABSENCE F FURTHER ACTION BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO PROMOTE THE RETURN OF OVERSTAYERS. WE CAN SUBSTANTIATE THE LOW FIGURE OF THOSE RETURNING, BUT THIS WILL EXPOSE US TO MORE PRESSURE ON THE LAST POINT.

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/ 5. WANG