Worries on Chinese overstayers in 1990s

The Hawke government was bracing for a potentially massive increase in Chinese illegal migrants a year on from the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.

Cabinet papers for 1990 and 1991, released by the National Archives of Australia, show the Labor government was concerned about Chinese nationals who had arrived after June 20, 1989 overstaying temporary permit visas that were soon to expire.

There were an estimated 25,000 Chinese nationals who had arrived after that date and while the bulk had taken up special concessions, there were 3100 yet to do so.

"Unless they apply for refugee status, seek an extension of their entry permit ... or voluntarily leave we will face a massive increase in illegal entrant numbers," then immigration minister Gerry Hand wrote in a cabinet submission.

Hand pushed for an increase in compliance staff and resources for his department in light of figures showing there was a broader issue of 90,000 illegal entrants in Australia.

"It is expected that the community will strongly support the exclusion of illegal entrants from services and an increased effort on their location, detection and removal," he said.

"Some criticism may come in respect of individual cases."

Mr Hand also pushed for a two-tier student visa class with higher application fees for people from higher-risk countries that were politically unstable or with limited human rights commitments, in order to reduce overstay numbers.

Countries with high student overstay rates included China, Fiji, Thailand, Korea and Taiwan.

Those from low-risk countries would be charged a $30 fee while those from high-risk countries $130.

Mr Hand also wanted students from high-risk countries to have their work rights removed.