TNAG-0985-FCO40-1204-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 111

布政司署

港下亞畢道

CONFIDENTIAL

233

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

* OUR REF.: (70) in SCR 30/2091/74 VII

來函檔號 YOUR REF:

Mr. R.D. Clift

Hong Kong & General Dept.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH

England

10th November, 1980

HKK 34+1

RECEIVED IN REG.STRY NO. 51

14 NOV 1980

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

Au

ME STAY !Action Taken

IN 15/1

Dear Think

Operation Champion

Effect on Indian Nationals

I gather there is some slight concern in the Office about the number of Indian nationals who, along with nearly 3,000 others from places elsewhere than China, are here illegally and have come to the surface as a result of Operation Champion (para. 7 of our telegram 1426 of 29th October, 1980 refers).

2.

223

Most such Indians are likely to be here as over- stayers rather than illegal immigrants. We have done a preliminary analysis of all 710 overstayers who, as part of the 3,000 I mentioned above, have come forward. The results are shown on the attached list. You will see that there are 75 Indians so that the problem is hardly a major one, bearing in mind that we shall be reasonable in cases where there are strong humanitarian grounds for not removing people. However, nearly half the overstayers have been here for less than three years and if there are no mitigating factors they are likely to be sent packing. I doubt whether this would differ very much from practice in the U.K.

3.

You will recall that the Indian Commissioner here seemed reassured when told that the Indians would be treated no differently from all others who were here illegally.

M. Meghice que lo

Mr. Williams

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