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CONFIDENTIAL # 2
9
LAJ
staff could again be made available. Given a September 1982 start on implementation, the intensive searches using redeployed staff could continue until the additional recruitment became effective by mid-1983.
Press and Jublic Opinion
22.
The public has become increasingly concerned about the effect of the growing number of Chinese immigrants on their standard of living, and it is believed that they will for the most part accept the proposed scheme as a logical extension to CHAMPION. It must be said, however, that these propoals are likely to have much more impact than CHAMPION, in that, in contrast to illegal immigrants, the persons whom it is now proposed to send back would have come to Hong Kong legitimately, and virtually all would have relatives (often close ones) and friends with whom they would have stayed quite openly while their permits remained valid. Once the period of stay expired, then their presence would immediately become illegal (although they would have had adequate warning that this would happen). Given that the local community would have closer ties with these 'overstayers' than with illegal immigrants, and with children making up one quarter of all legal immigrants and another one in ten being elderly, the execution of removal orders, however compassionately carried out, could well result in emotional or unpleasant scenes and strong criticism by those directly affected. This assessment is based on a quick sounding out and on the personal judgement of the officers concerned. If a decision is taken to go ahead, a more thorough ar lysis of opinion could be undertaken.
23.
The communist press has so far been critical of any suggestion that any legal immigrants should be returned. However, if the Chinese authorities accept our proposal, then we can hope that criticism from this quarter would be muted.
24.
To prepare the public for a change in policy would pequire a carefully planned information strategy, which would stress the harmful economic and social effects of an indefinite continuation of legal immigration at its present level. A useful starting point might be the passage in HE's recent
peech in LegCo.
A point of difficulty, both real and presentational, ould be the difference in treatment between overstayers from Jing and those from elsewhere. In the case of the latter,
/ certain
CONFIDENTIAL
機密
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