SECRET 高度機密
Page No. 8 of 10 pages
IMMIGRATION
From China
26..
For the first time for over a year the average daily number of legal immigrants without onward travel documents rose well above what had become the norm of 150. The December total of 5,803 produced a daily average of 187, as against 4,489 and an average of 150 a day for November. The increase occurred in the last two weeks of the month and resulted from greater numbers arriving from provinces other than Guangdong. Representations were made and in January the daily average has so far fallen to below 150. A possible explanation for the end of the year surge is a "topping up" by the Chinese so as to clear outstanding applications and achieve a daily average of 150 for the year as a whole. In fact, the final figure was just under 152. If this explanation is correct, it provides further evidence that the Chinese firmly view 150 as the standard.
27.
Illegal immigration continued at a low level. There were fewer arrests on first arrival than in November, the December total being 716 (an average of 23 a day) as against 891 (30) in the previous month. In addition, 62 persons who had evaded capture on first arrival were arrested.
28.
About three-quarters of those arrested arrived by sea, mainly from Haifeng County to the east. On land, the highest number intercepted in any one day was only 10. Even now, many of those arriving, particularly from the east, claim that they are unaware of the Government's new policy. Others, encouraged by syndicate operators, believe that Hong Kong will not maintain the new measures for very long, while a minority say that, even if they do continue, life outside the law in Hong Kong is preferable to living in the communes.
/ para 29.
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G.F. 316
SECRET 高度機密
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