Int Sup
COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION: VISIT TO AUSTRALIA:
STOPOVER IN HONG KONG, 24/25 OCTOBER
HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
Singapore
HKD 340/1
RECEIVED IN DES
06 SEP
DES INDEX
1. In addition to devising our own British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act to give British citizenship to 50,000 key people in Hong Kong, we have also been encouraging our friends and partners in the International Community to take measures to give assurances to Hong Kong people without their needing to leave the territory.
2. Singapore preempted our efforts by announcing a scheme last July which gave selected Hong Kong people residence permits in Singapore, but with the flexibility to defer taking up the right of residence for up to 5 years and the possibility of extending this for a further 5 years. The scheme has proved to be extremely popular and appears to be working well. About 8,600 of the total 25,000 resident permits have been issued. From the Hong Kong point of view, only about 500 of these have actually emigrated. This is reassuring and suggests that such schemes including our own will have the desired effect. Singapore do have a "brain drain" problem of their own, and their scheme is obviously of benefit to them as well, but is still welcome.
Australia
3. Australia have not found it quite so easy to assist in granting residency. It is, of course, one of the main emigration targets for Hong Kong people, second probably
only to Canada. Australian
Australian immigration rules are based on a global principle and it would be difficult for the Australian Government to aim a scheme at Hong Kong alone. They have, however, told us that there is already scope
FABAMV/1
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