TNAG-1744-FCO40-2463-Visits-by-FCO-officials-to-Hong-Kong--including-visit-by-Lor-1988 — Page 26

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

ARZADB (11)

(v)

EMIGRATION

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Recognise that this is a subject of concern to many people in

Hong Kong.

We are following trends carefully.

Welcome decision of Hong Kong Government to set up task force

to study scale of problem.

No easy solutions: efforts should be concentrated on maintaining Hong Kong as a place where people wish to make their

lives.

Steadily improving living standards and quality of life mak e Hong Kong a very attractive place to live.

HMG to discourage other countries from attracting emigrants from

Hong Kong?

Each country pursues its own immigration policy and Hong Kong people are free to come and go. But we are in touch with governments of the countries to which Hong Kong people go: they

well understand that it is not in their interests or in the

interests of Hong Kong to have a destabilising movement of people

out of the territory.

Will HMG relax entry rules for emigrants to UK?/Any increase in applications to emgrate to UK?

No evidence of increased emigration from Hong Kong to UK.

Current entry rules permit emigration to UK under certain

conditions: see no reason to vary them

No reliable figures for emigration or re-emigration?

Hong Kong is of course an open society which permits the free

flow of people.

Precise figures are therefore difficult to

establish

That's why the Hong Kong Government are studying the matter carefully to establish the scale of the problem.

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