TNAG-0983-FCO40-1202-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 140

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(VII) LEGAL IMMIGRATION CANNOT BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL (E.G. BY

MAKING SURE THAT THOSE WHO COME AS VISITORS RETURN TO CHINA AFTER

THEIR VISIT), WHILE ANY LEGAL OVERSTAYER WHO CLAIMS TO BE A

SUCCESSFUL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAN REMAIN. SO ACTION AGAINST II'S

IS AN ESSENTIAL PRELIMINARY TO TACKLING THE PROBLEM OF LEGALS. (VIII) ALTHOUGH THE CHINESE ARE TRYING QUITE HARD TO DEAL WITH ILLEGAL EMIGRATION, THERE IS NO REASON TO SUPPOSE THAT THEY ARE

GOING TO BE MARKEDLY MORE SUCCESSFUL OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

RECENTLY SONG TOLD THE AMBASSADOR IT WAS UP TO US TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION BY CHANGING THE REACHED BASE POLICY (PEKING TELNO 412) · THIS HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE, BUT NOT AT THIS LEVEL IN THE MFA. (IX) THERE SEEMS NO PROSPECT OF DRASTIC CHANGES IN CHINESE DISCIPLINARY MEASURES. SO WE MUST EXPECT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION TO

CONTINUE UNLESS WE CAN PRODUCE A STRONG ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL

DISINCENTIVE TO ASSIST PREVENTIVE MEASURES. DENIAL OF LEGAL WORK AND LEGAL EARNINGS TO II'S COULD THE CHINESE THE PROPAGANDA WEAPON

THEY NEED TO CUT BACK THE FLOW AT SOURCE.

GIVE

3. AGAINST THIS DEPRESSING ANALYSIS AND PARTICULARLY THE PROSPECT

OF RECESSION AND CONTINUING IMMIGRATION THE PENALTIES OF ''CHAMPION

ARE LESS IMPRESSIVE.' THOUGH THE MEASURES MAY LEAD TO FRICTION IN

THE LONG RUN, IN THE SHORT TERM FAILURE TO ACT WILL ALSO INCUR INCREASING CRITICISM AND GROWING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PENALTIES.

MOREOVER I AM LESS SURE THAN I WAS THAT THE RESTRICTIONS WE PROPOSE

WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE AS A SEMI-PERMANENT PART OF LIFE IN HONG KONG

FOR INSTANCE THE CARRIAGE OF IDENTITY CARDS HAS BEEN COMPULSORY

OVER CONSIDERABLE RECREATIONAL AREAS FOR SOME MONTHS AND HAS CAUSED

NO TROUBLE.

4. WE ARE STILL APPREHENSIVE ABOUT THE IMPLICITIES FOR CRIME AND

CORRUPTION IF A LARGE POOL OF UNDETECTED ILLEGALS IS CREATED. ON

THE OTHER HAND, GIVEN THE PRESENT PUBLIC MOOD, THIS MAY NOT HAPPEN TO THE EXTENT WE FEARED AND ILLEGALS ARE ALREADY INCREASINGLY

ACQUIRING AN ANTI-SOCIAL AND CRIMINAL REPUTATION WHICH IS WELL-

FOUNDED.

5. I DISCUSSED THESE POINTS WITH EXCO THIS MORNING. MEMBERS AGREED THAT UNLESS THERE IS A MARKED IMPROVEMENT WE SHOULD WORK

TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING OPERATION CHAMPION BEFORE THE STEADY INFLOW AND ECONOMIC RECESSION PRODUCE INTOLERABLE CONSEQUENCES, RATHER

THAN WAIT FOR A MOMENT OF CRISIS.

6. FOR PRACTICAL REASONS WE CANNOT SPRING OPERATION CHAMPION

BEFORE MID-AUGUST AT THE EARLIEST. EXCO AGREED THAT WE SHOULD AIM TENTATIVELY AT LAUNCHING THE OPERATION IN LATE AUGUST/EARLY SEPTEMBER, WITH A FINAL DECISION ON WHETHER TO GO AHEAD TO BE TAKEN IN MID-AUGUST.

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17. WE