TNAG-1632-FCO40-2248-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong--including-visit-1987 — Page 191

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Motivation

5.

The motivation for illegal immigrants is purely

economic. An illegal immigrant can earn as much in one day

on a building site in Hong Kong as he can in a month on a

farm in southern China.

Countermeasures

6.

The main means of preventing illegal immigration

lie in our security measures at the border. The border

fence and its associated obstacles are manned at all times

by a battalion of 48 Gurkha Infantry Brigade with a further company in reserve. A range of technical surveillance aids

is in use. The vast majority of illegals attempt to cross

the land border. Sea approaches are patrolled by Marine

Police launches (especially in Deep Bay and Mirs Bay) and Royal Navy patrol craft. Evaders are discovered by Police identity card checks and raids on places where illegals are likely to find work. There is legislation against the employment of illegals.

Ex-China Vietnamese Illegal Immigrants (ECVIIS)

7.

There has long been a problem of former Vietnamese

refugees who have been resettled in China coming into Hong

Kong illegally, hoping to be resettled elsewhere as genuine Vietnamese refugees. At the beginning of July 1987, ECVIIS

from the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces began to arrive by boat in large numbers: over 7,000 have arrived to date.

Although they are regarded as illegal immigrants from China,

the need to establish that they had been resettled in China

and to make arrangements with the Chinese for their

repatriation has meant that they could not be sent back

immediately.

8.

Consultations have now been held with the

Guangdong and Guangxi authorities and repatriation of the

ECVIIS began on 22 August.

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