With the Compliments of the
Secretary for Security
Hong Kong
保安司致意
3
布政司署
香港下亞畢道
*** OUR REF.: (12) in SEC 11/4/1
* YOur Ref.:
J
34011
483
GOVERNMENT
SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
i
16th December, 1981
D. M. March, Esq., OBE
Senior British Trade Commissioner British Trade Commission
Bank of America Tower, 9th Floor 12 Harcourt Road
HONG
KONG
Hick 340
KUNAN MATAY NO. ST 30 DEC 1981
Dear bench.
1
INDEX
PA
/
Af 301
Macao: UK Nationality Enquiries
The Chief Secretary has asked me to reply to your letter dated 9th December, 1981.
2.
I agree that it would be sensible for the Immigration Department to act as a channelling agent with the Home Office on registration and renunciation cases from Macao. The Director of Immigration sees no problems about taking this on, and suggests that your Vice-Consul gets in touch with is Assistant Director, Steven Kuo, to sort out the details.
hours wer
A
(L. M. Davies)
Secretary for Security
сс
Director of Immigration
Nationality & Treaty Department, FCO Hong Kong & General Department, FCO,
T MON
From the
Senior British Trade Commissioner
34011
Bank of America Tower
HKK34011
9 December 1981
AR 30
482
Dear Philip,
ATL
MACAO: UK NATIONALITY ENQUIRIES
As I expect you are aware, concurrent with my position in Hong Kong as Senior British Trade Commissioner I also hold the appointment of Her Majesty's Consul for the consular district of Macao. The consular appointment usefully complements my responsibility for trade promotion in Macao. In practice my consular responsibilities are almost entirely confined to protection, including the consular registration of United Kingdom citizens resident in Macao, and to the registration of births and deaths. The processing of passports and visas is undertaken by the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
2.
Three years ago the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) agreed that as a small post we could discontinue holding copies of Diplomatic Service Procedure (DSP) volumes on nationality and visas to save the time-consuming chore of adding frequent amendments to a mass of guidance which we were rarely likely to use. However we were recently approached by two residents of Macao on matters of nationality which required us to consult the copies of DSP held by the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Government. In so doing one of my Vice-Consuls spoke informally with the Section Head of the British Passport Section about the possibility of the Immigration Department assuming the role of channelling agent for applications from Macao for registration under the British Nationality Act 1948 which need to be referred to the Secretary of State at the Home Office. The British Passport Section of Immigration Department are already acting in that capacity for applications emanating in Taiwan and a member of Ron Bridges's staff could recall at least two occasions when they had (in ignorance of our formal role as the constituted consular authority) relayed applications from Macao and had them accepted by the Home Office.
Briony / 3.
Jst
We have consulted Nationality and Treaty Department of the FCO who agree that it seems sensible to ask the Immigration Department in Hong Kong to act as a channelling agent with the Home Office on registration and renunciation cases from Macao. They have asked me to make a formal approach to the Hong Kong Government.
/...