GF 323
CONFIDENTIAL
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PAPER FOR THE GOVERNOR'S SECURITY COMMITTEE
No.20/81
Legal Immigration from China
Background
At its meeting on 17 July 1981, the Committee directed that a paper on legal immigration from China be submitted at the next meeting.
2. The last ExCo decision on policy for the admission of legal immigrants from China was given on 2 January 1979, when it was formally agreed that the distinction between residents of Guangdong and those from the rest of China should be abolished (a distinction which had in practice disappeared several years before) and that the initial stay of all new legal immigrants should be limited to 12 months or the validity of their Chinese travel documents, which- ever was the less.
3.
Since then, control over the numbers settling in Hong Kong has in effect remained in the hands of the Chinese authorities with the exception of the relative few who enter Hong Kong with visas enabling them to travel onward to third countries, all residents of China who are granted permits by the Chinese authorities to leave China either for a specific period or permanently are allowed by the Immigration Department to enter and, ultimately, to remain and settle. The numbers of such persons have been averaging 150 a day since January 1980 - in 1979 the average had been higher but was reduced following represent- ations to the Chinese authorities. The Chinese have never formally declared that this is a quota they adhere to but there is ample evidence that such is their practice. The quota is shared among the Provinces, with Guangdong taking the lion's share.
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4. For departures in this category, the Chinese authorities issue two types of permit the first is for a single journey from China to Hong Kong to enable close relatives to join their families already resident in the latter. The second is for a journey from China to Hong Kong and back again (i.e. a two-way permit) to enable visits to be made to relatives and friends. This type of permit specifies the period for which the visitor is allowed by the Chinese authorities to stay in Hong Kong. The numbers are given in Annex A.
5. Whether the permit is for a single journey or a double journey, once in Hong Kong, the immigrant is able to obtain extensions of stay from Immigration Department, and to obtain an identity card. Ultimately, after 7 years continuous residence the immigrant will achieve "Chinese resident" status, which means that he has become a permanent resident of Hong Kong.
6. A small number of the "visitors" do in fact return to China but the monthly average is only between five and eight a day. This means that the net annual increase in Hong Kong's population brought about by legal immigration from China is over 50,000. The adverse social consequences of indefinite continuation at this level are not set out in this paper but they are considerable.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ para 7.
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