TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 180

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CONFIDENTIAL

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b)

HK has reduced its own natural population

growth to close to unity (1.28 in 1981)

despite having a young population and thus

a low death rate and one of the longest

expectations of life in the world. But the

figure is being raised to over 2% (2.3% in

1982 and as high as 6.4% in 1979) by net

migration because of the traditional (if

not at least implied by the wording of the

Convention of Peking) "open frontier"

arrangement with China. There is a tacitly

agreed limit on legal entrants to HK. HKG

is discussing with China measures to reduce

the numbers of two-way permit holders that

I do not return to China. But we can not

expect one-way legal immigrants to fall below

27,000 a year (equals about half natural

growth rate).

c)

With the agreement of China we are returning

all illegal immigrants (except children under

14 and we are planning to act against these

as well). This is a brutal policy in terms

of splitting families, separating children.

from parents and even spouses. It involves

Cantonese treating Cantonese far worse han

they treat Vietnamese.

CONFIDENTIAL

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