THE premier of British Columbia said yesterday that Canada's immigration cutback would have no significant impact in Hong Kong.
The move was 'nothing unusual', said Michael Harcourt in an apparent attempt to quash fears that people would be prevented from joining their families before 1997.
It was just a reflection of reduced global demand for Canadian citizenship, he added.
The territory's Commission for Canada was flooded with worried applicants last week after Ottawa announced the number of immigrants accepted next year would be cut from 250,000 to between 190,000 and 215,000.
But Mr Harcourt said: 'When they realised the changes were so slight, it was business as usual.' While Canadian figures may show a fall in worldwide immigration applications, the number of Hong Kong applicants has risen from around seven per cent of the total in 1984 to 21 per cent in July this year.
And the Commission expects to issue more immigrant visas this year than last.