TNAG-1091-FCO40-1341-Legal-immigration-from-China-and-Vietnam-into-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 49

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 181235Z NOVEMBER 81

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1014 OF 10 NOVEMBER

34113

HIR 344

нке

RACENDO IN REMY NO. SI 1 1 NOV 1981

DESK OFFICER

RA.

NDEX

FA

No CGE

11/11

PG 11/19

INFO PRIORITY PEKING HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

MIPT: LEGAL IMMIGRATION

FOLLOWING IS SUGGESTED SPEAKING NOTE.

1. NCNA WILL HAVE NOTED THE REFERENCE IN THE GOVERNOR'S

LEGCO SPEECH TO THE NEED TO REDUCE THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE COMING TO HONG KONG FOR PERMANENET SETTLEMENT WHILE

AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING FOR GENUINE VISITORS.

2. WE NOTE THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF

THOSE ENTERING HONG KONG TO AN AVERAGE OF 150 A DAY.

3. UNFORTUNATELY VERY FEW RETURN TO CHINA,

IMMIGRATION FROM THIS SOURCE ADDS SOME 55,000 PEOPLE TO HONG

KONG'S POPULATION EACH YEAR. THE ABSORPTION OF THESE NUMBERS, IN ADDITION TO THE ILLEGAL ENTRANTS OF RECENT YEARS, IS PLACING VERY GREAT STRAIN ON HONG KONG'S HOUSING

AND OTHER SERVICES.

See 16

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HKK 020/1 (41)

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4. WE HAVE BEEN GREATLY CONCERNED BY THE RECENT UPWARD

TREND IN THE PROPORTION OF VISITORS FROM CHINA HOLDING

ONE-WAY AS OPPOSED TO TWO-WAY TRAVEL PERMITS. BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR IT WAS LESS THAN 10 PER CENT.

DURING THE COURSE OF 1981 IT HAS STEADILY RISEN AND HAS NOW REACHED

75 PER CENT. WE REGARD THIS PROPORTION AS MUCH TOO HIGHT.

5. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THE COOPERATION OF THE

CHINESE AUTHORITIES IN FINDING A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. IN

OUR VIEW IT SHOULD CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:-

(A) THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WILL CONTINUE TO RESTRICT THE

NUMBER OF THOSE GIVEN PEMITS TO TRAVEL TO HONG KONG TO AN

AVERAGE OF 150 A DAY:

(B) OF THOSE, NO MORE THAN HALF WILL BE GIVEN ONE-WAY PERMITS

I E PERMITS FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT:

CONFIDENTIAL

/ (c)