TNAG-2168-FCO40-3105-House-of-Commons-Foreign-Affairs-Committee-inquiry-into-Hong-1990 — Page 129

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DESTINATION COUNTRIES AND THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN CHINA REMAINS STABLE, WE EXPECT THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE TO BEGIN TO BRING THE VOLUME OF EMIGRATION DOWN TOWARDS THE END OF 1991.

PROFILE

5. THE PROPORTION OF EMIGRANTS IN THE PROFESSIONAL, TECHNICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANAGERIAL CATEGORY OF THE WORK-FORCE HAS INCREASED FROM 14 PER CENT IN THE EARLY TO MID 1980S TO ABOUT 25 PER CENT AT PRESENT. THIS PHENOMENAL RISE WAS ACHIEVED DESPITE THE LARGE INCREASES IN THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER OF EMIGRANTS OVER THE SAME PERIOD. FOR THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE, PEOPLE IN THIS CATEGORY CONSTITUTE ONLY ABOUT 5.7 PER CENT.

6. ABOUT 15 PER CENT OF OUR EMIGRANTS DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS HAVE COMPLETED TERTIARY EDUCATION, THOUGH SUCH PEOPLE ONLY COMPRISE 3.7 PER CENT OF THE LOCAL POPULATION. THE AGE PROFILE OF EMIGRANTS AS COMPARED TO THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE SHOWS DISPROPORTIONATELY

MORE IN THE AGE GROUP OF 25 TO 44. THERE ARE PARTICULARLY FEW EMIGRANTS IN THE AGE GROUP OF 65 AND ABOVE.

7. AS THE MAJOR DESTINATION COUNTRIES ARE TRYING TO BALANCE THE LEVEL OF ECONOMIC MIGRATION WITH FAMILY REUNIONS, THE EMIGRATION PROFILE FOR 1990 AND 1991 IS UNLIKELY TO CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE LATER THIS YEAR, WE ARE HOPING THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF EMIGRANTS IN THE PROFESSIONAL, TECHNICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANAGERIAL CATEGORY WILL DECREASE FROM THE PRESENT LEVEL OF 25 PER CENT FROM 1992

ONWARDS.

WILSON

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