Mr Donald
HKCK 341|l
RECEIVED IN ROPHY XS. 51
14 OCT 1980
CER
REGISTRY
ны
HugeD
CONFIDENTIALACOVERING SECRET
No
ak
14.10 AW '4/1
HONG KONG: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA
Problem
1.
Private Secretary
Secretary
of
64875
198
Stare
Approved, subject 66
рт
Consultation with pm
& whragues: amended fels. med.
стр
(a) To obtain Ministers' views on the implementation of the
scheme to return illegal immigrants from China arrested
in Hong Kong; and
(b) to instruct HM Ambassador, Peking, to inform the Chinese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the measures proposed.
Recommendation
2.
I recommend that:
(a) the Governor be authorised to enact legislation on
23 October and be given discretion to implement the
scheme without further reference to Ministers, as in
the attached draft telegram;
(b) HM Ambassador, Peking, be instructed to speak to the
Chinese Foreign Ministry as in the second draft telegram.
FED agree.
Background and Argument
3.
These measures, codenamed 'Operation Champion', involve
repatriation of almost all illegal immigrants from China who are
apprehended even if they have reached the Urban Area. (Under
present policy they would be allowed to remain in Hong Kong if
they had got that far.) In exceptional cases a very small number
10/1
of illegal immigrants will, as at present, be allowed to remain
where there are strong humanitarian grounds for doing so.
appeal procedure has been devised for this.
An
CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET
/4.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.