TNAG-1821-FCO40-2584-Emigration-from-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 16

5

Over 98% of all local applications to the police for a CNCC for emigration purposes relate to the main destination countries. Indeed the top three (Canada, Australia and USA) alone account for over 97.5%. Α further ten countries

(Belgium, Brazil,

Columbia, Dominican Republic, France, Mauritius, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines and Portugal) have been identified as accounting for a significant number of the remaining CNCC applications and action is in hand to clarify these countries immigration policies and the number of visas issued to Hong Kong residents. This further clarification is unlikely to result in substantial alterations to the estimates of numbers of persons physically emigrating.

Immigration Department Statistics

6

The final source of information is Immigration Department statistics on inward and

inward and outward movements of Hong Kong people (excluding movements to and from China). When used as a measure of emigration in a particular year, these need to be treated with caution because

-

(a) the data collection system has changed at

various times over the years;

(b)

'

on

the figures only include

include those

those travelling Hong Kong travel documents and exclude Hong Kong residents using foreign travel documents;

(c) it is assumed that movements of students,

businessmen and tourists are in balance within any one calender year;

(d)

the single figure for

for any one year combines

the effects of new emigration and movements of returned emigrants; and

+

CONFIDENTIAL