Immigration and Nationality Department
Lunar House 40 Wellesley Road Croydon CR9 2BY Telephone 01-760
(GTN 3882)
2893
|HOME OFFICE
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Your reference
Our reference
Date
1110
cc dur laut.
M
See reply out
e fa.
22 February 1990
J
Mr A Paul
Hong Kong Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Department
King Charles Street
LONDON SW1A 2AH
нко 3402ч
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1 1 APR 1990
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Dear Alam,
As you may know, a programme is being prepared for the Home Secretary's visit to Australia in September. I enclose a copy of the telegram from our High Commissioner in Canberra in which he stresses his wish to achieve some firm agreement on new areas of co-operation. You will see that one of the subjects suggested by the High Commissioner, in paragraph 3, as areas in which it might be possible to achieve specific agreements with Australia during the visit is emigration from Hong Kong. The Home Secretary's office has asked me for advice on this suggestion and I would welcome your views.
Australia is of course one of the two main destinations of Hong Kong emigrants and, in principle, has it in her power to do a great deal to help stem the outflow. A positive response from Australia could also be extremely helpful during the passage of the Bill through Parliament. I have seen your recent summary of responses from other countries, from which I gather that the FCO are pursuing this with Australia at official level at talks taking place this month.
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The Home Secretary's visit in September may come too late to influence the passage of the Bill (as you know, we are aiming for completion by the Summer Recess). Nevertheless, it would be an opportunity to press home our case provided the course taken by the current talks indicate that there would be a reasonable prospect of success. On the other hand, if it were clear that Australia was not prepared to help and remained
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