TNAG-0984-FCO40-1203-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 19

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in the world. It results from both a long historical

tradition, the buoyancy of our economy and the willingness

of our people to welcome their compatriots. It has been

possible to sustain this policy in the past because, after

the early 50s, high levels of influx have been comparatively

short-lived and thus absorbable. The present case is

different. We are now entering the third year of the

phenomenon.

It is as objectionable to the Chinese

as it is to us, and they, like us, are making every effort

to stop it. Far from being welcomed by our people, the

illegal immigrants are now more and more resented as they

are seen to be eroding the improvement in standards that

the people of Hong Kong have worked so hard to achieve.

I described all this in detail to you in my address

on 1st October the effect on our prospects over housing,

medical provision, education, social welfare, and public

security, and its implications for further economic

development. There is also the constant diversion of police

from combatting crime, which is what really matters, to

combatting illegal immigration, and crime committed by

illegal immigrants is on the increase and out of all

proportion to their numbers. Short-time working in some

industries, and some rise in unemployment, fear of recession,

have all given an added thrust to the general demand for new

action by the Government to halt this flow a demand of

which I have been increasingly conscious for some months.

Wh:

then have we not acted before?