TNAG-2949-FCO40-4226-Hong-Kong-visa-policy-with-other-countries-1993 — Page 33

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15

X

ممان -

Air Woodrow On x would

you

please look at the litter in questimave se

whether

read to add

? Please would for

in due course follow

El Sibeton to

Mrs Barnes Jones HKD

illegal immigration

Mr yer olk check on toting plane.

the light of

further input from

Honey Kiny

3/1.

PW)

Мойее:

illegal

immigration tite or vice

versa.

:) the 3.45/5 put pin on

Chiruve that the interventu telephine Mr Simeon

up with

7

HONG KONG; PRC MIGRATION.

1.

to explain that Thain't here time to digt kafive MrRicketts byt for Peking.

2) b/u

I week

1/11

Thank you for your minute of 6 October, covering a copy of Miss Lee's letter of 21 September. I should perhaps explain that we were not questioning the decision of the Hong Kong Government to remove the requirement for PRC visitors to hold visas when transitting the Territory for up to seven days. What was doubtful however was the statement contained in the brief prepared for Mr Rawsthorne that Hong Kong had reinforced controls on transit visitors. Regardless of the arguments set out in Mrs Lee's letter, the fact that a large number of PRC visitors (some8800 per annum from Peking alone) have had an earlier visa requirement removed, cannot be construed as tightening controls. If Mr Rawsthorne had used this part of his brief, he would have been vulnerable to challenge, which. could have undermined his position on a wider range of issues. It was for this reason that we questioned this particular reference.

2.

We are aware of the need to address the unsubstantiated allegations made in the CIREFI group about Hong Kong being used as a staging post for migrants coming to Europe, and you will know that this was not tackled at the September Ad Hoc meeting. I have been in touch with the Home Office again about this, and although action has not yet been taken within the CIREFI forum, I have been told that this will occur at the next meeting of the group on 28 October. The UK intervention will be on the basis of the text sent to the Home Office in my letter of 2 August to Mr Sweet.

3. I note that Mr Ricketts intends to write again to Mr Rawsthorne. You should be aware that the next meeting of the Ad Hoc group will be on 14/15 October; clearly it would be preferable if the letter were to reach the Home Office before then. For the reasons set out above I believe it would be preferable not to use the point about transit passengers, which adds little to the debate and has indeed been shown to be hollow.

нио 34512

RECE

- 2 NOV 1993

UN

INDE

за

R.W. Sindon

Migration & Visa Dept

7 October 1993

пот