TNAG-2180-FCO40-3117-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 93

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THE TERRITORY, AND HAVE URGED OTHER COUNTRIES TO INTRODUCE SIMILAR MEASURES.

5. THE RESPONSE TO OUR EFFORTS HAS GENERALLY BEEN VERY ENCOURAGING.

6.

THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ARE IMPLEMENTING A SCHEME TO PROVIDE PASSPORTS OR RIGHT OF ENTRY TO UP TO 1500 EMPLOYEES OF FRENCH COMPANIES AND THEIR FAMILIES.

GERMANY, BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG ARE ABOUT TO FINALISE SCHEMES OF BROADLY THE SAME NATURE. A NUMBER OF NEXT WORD UNDERLINED OTHER EC COUNTRIES ARE ACTIVELY CONSIDERING WHAT THEY COULD DO TO HELP.

7.

SINGAPORE HAS ALREADY INTRODUCED A SCHEME COVERING UP TO 25000 HEADS OF HOUSEHOLD. THIS HAS BEEN OPERATING FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS.

8. IN AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION RULES, FLEXIBILITY EXISTS TO ALLOW THOSE GRANTED MIGRANT STATUS TO TRAVEL WIDELY DURING THE FIRST THREE YEARS AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL: AND IN SOME CASES TO LIVE OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA AFTER THAT WITHOUT PREJUDICING THEIR MIGRANT

OR RESIDENCY STATUS.

9.

THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT HAVE WELCOMED AND SUPPORT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG THROUGH THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE. THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT FLEXIBILITY ALSO EXISTS IN CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS. WE HOPE THAT SUCH FLEXIBILITY WILL BE EXERCISED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.

10. IN THE US I WAS VERY PLEASED TO HEAR RECENTLY THAT A LEADING CONGRESSMAN HAD PROPOSED AN AMENDMENT TO THE DRAFT US IMMIGRATION BILL (WHICH AMONG OTHER THINGS INCREASES THE IMMIGRANT QUOTA FROM HONG KONG TO 20,000 PER ANNUM), TO INCLUDE A PROVISION THAT BENEFICIARIES MAY DEFER SETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES UNTIL THE YEAR 2002. OF COURSE THERE IS SOME WAY TO GO BEFORE THIS COULD BECOME LAW. BUT IT IS AN IMAGINATIVE PROPOSAL WHICH WE WELCOME: IT IS EXACTLY THE SORT OF MEASURE THAT WOULD HELP HONG

KONG.

11. PUT TOGETHER, THESE COMMITMENTS, POTENTIAL COMMITMENTS AND THE FLEXIBILITY I HAVE DESCRIBED, ADD UP TO A SUBSTANTIAL EXTRA PACKAGE FOR HONG KONG. WE HAVE WORKED HARD TO ACHIEVE THIS, AND

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