TNAG-2168-FCO40-3105-House-of-Commons-Foreign-Affairs-Committee-inquiry-into-Hong-1990 — Page 104

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CONFIDENTIAL

FRG:

Belgium:

Luxembourg:

at a recent seminar on Hong Kong held in Berlin, Helmut Schaefer, Minister of State in

the Auswaertiges Amt, confirmed that the FRG

had promised to offer residence status to

managerial staff and their families working for German companies in Hong Kong (SCMP article of 6 July).

has announced scheme to offer one year renewable visas to some 50 employees of

Belgian companies.

has announced one year renewable multiple

entrance visa for employees of Luxembourg companies in Hong Kong.

Other EC

countries:

Singapore:

several of our other EC partners are still

considering what they can do to help (not to

be revealed to the committee: Denmark and

Italy appear to have proposals at a fairly advanced stage).

already implementing a scheme to give

residence status in Singapore to up to 25,000

blue collar workers and their families,

without there having to leave the territory

for some years. Of some 20,000 applications

received so far, 8,605 have been approved but

only 588 have taken up residence (and all but

94 of these were already working in

Singapore).

United States: Congress is considering a new immigration bill which would double immigration quota

from Hong Kong to 20,000 per year, but

without the need to take up immigrant visa

until the year 2002 (Morrison Bill/Frank

CONFIDENTIAL