CONFIDENTIAL #
機密
SCR 1/2091/81
PAPER FOR THE GOVERNOR'S SECURITY COMMITTEE
No. 25/81-
Control of Legal Immigration from China
Introduction
At its meeting on 15 August 1981, the Committee considered GSC paper 20/81. Having done so, it ruled out a unilateral imposition of physical controls at Lo Wu but decided that the scheme for the return of overstayers should be further examined, since the only other course would be to accept indefinitely the present daily inflow of 150 legal immigrants.
The Committee directed that a working group be set up to develop proposals. If these seemed practic- able and offered prospects of a solution, Chinese concurrence would be sought and, if forthcoming, the proposals would be implemented.
2.
This paper sets out the working group's findings. The scheme has, for reasons of security and convenience, been given the code name KEYBOARD.
3.
In this paper the term "legal immigrants" refers only to persons who enter from China with the permission of the Chinese authorities and who will have been issued by the latter with either one-way or two-way permits. (Our current practice is to allow all such persons to settle permanently in Hong Kong regardless of which type of permit they hold). For the purpose of this paper, the two-way permit holders are termed "visitors"; Hong Kong after the validity of their they are described as "overstayers". are termed "settlers".
if they remain in permits have expired
One-way permit holders Those persons who arrive from China with passports or with documents valid for onward travel to third countries (often called "transitees") are not covered by this paper.
Present Position
4.
Legal immigration continues at a rate of about 150 a day, a figure unchanged since January, 1980. This represents some 55,000 legal immigrants a year, all of whom are at present allowed to settle permanently in Hong Kong. The main characteristics of these immigrants are given in Annex Al Annex Al.
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CONFIDENTIAL #
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