TNAG-2630-FCO40-3821-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1992 — Page 59

GVM 213/1

September 1992

RG Yates Esq

B2 Division

Home Office

Lunar House

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WORKING HOLIDAYMAKERS

I promised to write following the IND Board meeting on 9 September, to describe in more detail our difficulties with

some of the changes to the WHM scheme proposed in INB(92)40.

1.

2.

But

Before dealing with the proposed changes, I should like to address two issues of presentation. First, I am very concerned by the suggestion at the meeting that abuse of the

scheme should not be cited as a significant, let alone the

main, reason for our reforms, for want of hard evidence.

if we say that reform is necessary because the numbers

entering as visitors, but being granted leave to remain as WHMs, has increased xfold, it is very difficult to rebut convincingly the argument "The scheme was all right so long as it was being used by whites. Now that blacks are doing so, you want to change the rules, for racist reasons". We can

only defend ourselves against this charge by stressing abuse:

that the overwhelming majority of applications from nationals of countries which had not previously figured significantly or even measurably in the WHM statistics, (and where the idea of

a working holiday overseas before settling down at home is

neither part of the culture, nor economically possible for

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