M B Eaden Esq Consulate-General
AMSTERDAM
RESTRICTED
5159
ཋཀ༥བ](༔) 〉
10A
221/2/81
16 March 1981
1
PASSPORTS FOR HONG KONG CHINESE
Thank you for your letter of 25 February suggesting that in the future the passports of Dependent Territories should be easily distinguishable from the passports issued to British citizens or to British Overseas Citizens.
1.
2.
Frankly we can see no reason why the new Nationality Act should make this any more desirable than it is now, and I should be interested to learn the reasons why this view was. taken by those attending the Consular Conference in Dusseldorf last month. There are in fact reasons why it would be desirable for all passports to look the same. For example one of the results of the new Nationality Act may well be that CBDTs and BOCs will feel that they are regarded as second class citizens. The issue of distinctive passports could aggravate this feeling. Hong Kong in particular are very anxious that passports should look as similar to existing ones as possible and Home Office Ministers have already accepted that there is no good reason why this should not be the case.
3.
There
We have also considered your second suggestion that you and other Posts in Europe should issue Hong Kong passports. Te have consulted the Passport Office who, as you might imagene, issue a large number of passports to "Hong Kong Chinese!"" would seem to be no objection in principle, although the Hong Kong Government would need to be consulted.before we adopted your suggestions. But the administrative problems could be considerable and we might prefer to continue the present system. The reason for a change given in the last sentence of paragraph 2 of your letter is not very convincing.
We have a considerable time ahead of us in which to consider passport formats and procedures and we welcome your views. Please therefore do not think we are pouring cold water over your suggestions. These we shall bear in mind.
4.
DECIDI ATTA
H M PATERSON NTD