TNAG-2180-FCO40-3117-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 185

UNCLASSIFIED

FM CANBERRA

TO TELELETTER FCO

TELELETTER NFR

OF 12053OZ MARCH 90

INFO TELELETTER HONG KONG

FROM D G BLUNT

TO IF LINDSAY ESQ, SPD, FCO

UNCLASSIFIED

COPIED TO MS P A MAJOR, HKD, FCO

DPA, HONG KONG

IMMIGRATION: HONG KONG

HRD 340/1

RECEIVED A REGISTRY

02 MAY 1990

DESK OFFICER PA

INDEX

HKD

153

050701

MDTTAN 5276

REGISTRY Action taken

tegy

to

reanter and

Chen return to

please.

M13/3

1. PARAGRAPH 29 OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S DESPATCH OF 20 FEBRUARY ON AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION TOUCHED ON THE LARGE NUMBERS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE COMING EACH YEAR TO AUSTRALIA FOR SETTLEMENT. THURSDAY'S (8 MARCH) ''AUSTRALIAN'' NEWSPAPER REPORTS CONFIRMATION OF THE CONTINUING STRONG DEMAND IN HONG KONG FOR MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA. ACCORDING TO THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE (BASED ON STATISTICS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN CONSULATE-GENERAL IN HONG KONG), APPLICATIONS FOR MIGRATION UNDER THE GENERAL PROGRAMME FROM HONG KONG TO AUSTRALIA ARE NOW RUNNING AT NEARLY THREE TIMES THE RATE IN LATE 1988 SHORTLY BEFORE OPPOSITION CALLS FOR CURBS ON ASIAN IMMIGRATION. THERE HAVE BEEN 8098 SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS IN THE JULY 1989- TO JANUARY 1990 PERIOD ALONE. THE BUSINESS MIGRATION PROGRAMME (BMP) IS ALSO VERY POPULAR: SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING AT ABOUT DOUBLE THE LATE 1988 RATE.

*

IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR WHICH ENDED ON 30 JUNE 1989, 2514 BMP APPLICATIONS (REPRESENTING 10,165 MIGRANTS WERE RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION OF WHICH HEARLY (1218) WERE FROM HONG KONG. PRELIMINARY FIGURES SHOW 541 BMP HONG KONG APPLICANTIONS IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR (IE SINCE JUNE).

2. THE NEWSPAPER COMMENTED THAT SINCE THE BMP'S INCEPTION IN 1982 IT HAS ALWAYS DONE WELL OUT OF HONG KONG WITH OVER ONE THIRD OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS COMING FROM THE TERRITORY. THE BMP HAS BEEN CRITICISED IN THE PAST FOR OFFERING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EASY MIGRATION TO WEALTHY PEOPLE WHO, HAVING SETTLED, MAY SEND THEIR INVESTMENT FUNDS OVERSEAS ONCE AGAIN. THIS HAS LED TO MUCH TIGHTER BMP SCRUTINY. BMP APPLICANTS MUST NOW SIGN A DECLARATION SETTING OUT THE UNENCUMBERED FUNDS THEY HAVE SENT TO AUSTRALIA AND AN AUTHORISATION PERMITTING IMMIGRATION

1

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