TNAG-1030-FCO40-1280-Proposed-visit-by-Humphrey-Atkins--Lord-Privy-Seal--to-Hong--1981 — Page 93

CONFIDENTIAL

Pregnant Women

6.

Related issue concerns women with husbands in Hong Kong, being discovered to be illegal immigrants on entering clinics and hospitals

in Hong Kong before giving birth to children. If born in Hong Kong

the children are Citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies. Hong

Kong Government is returning mothers (or mothers to be) to China,

provided they are medically fit to travel, but giving them the option

of leaving the baby with the father, who could, if he wished, himself

return with the baby to China and rejoin the mother.

7. This has attracted some adverse comment mainly from the expatriate

media and we are aware of the issue's emotive nature, but attitude

taken by Hong Kong is defensible in view of overall illegal immigration

problem.

Legal Immigration

During

8. For the past 2 years legal immigrants have been arriving at

average rate of 55,000 a year, ie 150 a day. Very few return. 1981 the proportion of one-way permit holders (ie permanent settlers

as opposed to visitors on two-way permits) has increased from less

than 8 per cent for the whole of 1980 to almost 75 per cent in the first half of November 1981. As a result, the Chinese have been

asked both in Peking and Hong Kong to keep the number of one-way

permits down to no more than 50 per cent. They have also been told

that visitors (ie holders of two-way permits with a fixed validity)

who overstay will, if necessary, be sent back. Chinese have taken

note but have not yet commented substantially.

Travel Visas

9. The Chinese have for some time been dissatisfied with the conditions of Hong Kong transit visas for Chinese passport holders. Huang Hua

raised this with Lord Carrington in March. New arrangements have recently been agreed which allow them to have 7 day transit visas which if necessary may be extended to a month or more. The arrange- ments are for a six month trial period. In the same context the

Chinese have complained about the difficulties their passport holders encounter because they have to obtain their visas at the land border crossing point at Lo Wu. They would like the visas to be issued by the Embassy in Peking or by the China Travel Service in Hong Kong.

CONFIDENTIAL

/10.