Yes! I
4/12
HKCK 341|1
RECEIVED IN BISTAT NO. $1 09 DEC 1980
CONFIDENTIAL
Action Taken
No!
MS
Mr Donald
VISIT TO HONG KONG:
1.
13
π
243
M. Meanie 25%2 Mr. Williams & see Js. 12
Sir E. Youde should see
für
574/12
B.u. 2 feb 15/12
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
NOTED &
1112
I discussed the implementation of Operation 'Champion' with the Chief Secretary, the Secretary for Security and the Commissioner of Police.
2.
So far, the new measures have been very successful with arrests of IIs very sharply down, in some cases in single figures per day. It is difficult to assess how far this is due to activity on the Chinese side of the border. There is no great apparent increase in action by them in the forward areas (a healthy aspect of this is that there has been no noticeable increase in brutality towards intending escapers). There appears to have been some propaganda in the communes advising people against going to Hong Kong but this does not seem to have been very concerted.
3.
7,000 people surfaced for registration in Hong Kong during the 3-day grace period before the measures were implemented. Obviously this was not the whole lot but, from the small number picked up in checks since, there is reason to hope that the number remaining underground is not very large.
4.
The grace period threw up a considerable number of illegal immigrants from Macao as well as some Indians, Taiwanese, etc. These are being processed very carefully. Hong Kong does not want to compromise on the basic principle that it will not accept free immigration from the region but it will apply the rules reasonably liberally. In general, single people who have been 7 years in Hong Kong and married people 5 years are likely to be allowed to stay. In the end probably less than 1,000 will be sent back to Macao.
5.
The rules for compulsory carriage of ID cards are going smoothly. There are increased road checks and policemen are discreetly stopping people on the streets. Initially, there were some 'sweeps' of housing areas suspected of containing illegals but these have thrown up comparatively few people. One problem is that ID cards are simple printed documents and easy to forge. Computer processed forgery-proof cards can be introduced but this will take at least 2 years.
6.
The rules against employment of people without ID cards seem also to have gone reasonably well so far. A number of people were sacked during the grace period. The Governor is sending in teams of factory inspectors and trying to arrange for law enforcement officers to accompany them in case arrests have to be made.
CONFIDENTIAL
17.
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