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was complicated but hoped an early solution could be found.
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14.
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Mr. McLaren agreed that the question of land-ownership was complicated. It could only be usefully discussed by those with expert knowledge. However we naturally wished to see the
problem resolved. Mr. McLaren undertook to pass on the Shenzhen authorities' concern to the relevant department in Hong Kong.
Immigration from China
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15. Mr. McLaren noted that there had recently been an increase
in the number of illegal immigrants from China arrested in Hong
Kong. He wondered whether this was a seasonal increase. As
Mr. ZHANG knew there was also concern in Hong Kong about the
number of people coming legally to the territory from China for
permanent settlement. Legal emigration was restricted by the
Chinese authorities to an average of 150 a day. The Hong Kong Government were grateful for this and realised that the
administration of this quota was a considerable administrative
burden for the Chinese authorities. However, 150 a day meant
an extra 55,000 people each year added to Hong Kong's population.
This imposed a severe strain on Hong Kong's own services (e.g.
housing, education etc.). The problem was compounded by the
proportion of legal immigrants arriving on one-way permits
(rather than two-way permits). Before 1981, the proportion of one-way permit holders had been about 10%. During 1981 the
ratio had steadily increased until by October 1981 it stood at
75%. It had remained at this level since then.
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Continuing, Mr. McLaren said that in November 1981 the
Hong Kong side had proposed (through NCNA and the British Embassy in Peking) a method of solving the problem through cooperation.
The main points had been:
(a) China would continue to restrict permits to 150 a day;
no more than one half would be one-way permits;
(b)
(c)
two-way permits would be generally valid for one month,
but would not exceed three months; and
CONFIDENTIA
(d) those
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