GRS 290
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 110508Z JUL 85
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1409 OF 11 JULY
RECEIVI
ник ото/н
12 Diy A1985
DE
INDEX
PA
དབ་
Y
láken
262)
FOR GALSWORTHY FROM JEAFFRESON.
ва
OUR TELNO 1316 1 JULY: BN (0) PASSPORTS AND ENTRY CERTIFICATES.
?
WE HAVE NOW PUT TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL A NEUTRAL MEMORANDUM
EXPLAINING BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT AND SEEKING ADVICE ON WHETHER
OR NOT HMG SHOULD BE ASKED NOT TO PROVIDE FOR ENTRY CERTIFICATES
FOR VISITORS HOLDING BN (0) PASSPORTS''. MEMBERS ADVISED THAT HMG
SHOULD BE ASKED NOT (NOT) SO TO PROVIDE.
2. IN THE DISCUSSIONS LEADING UP TO THIS ADVICE, MEMBERS SPOKE OUT VERY STRONGLY AGAINST ENTRY CERTIFICATES BEING AVAILABLE FOR HOLDERS OF HONG KONG PASSPORTS. BASICALLY, THEY FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE
NO NEED FOR ANY VISA-TYPE SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE OF BRITISH
NATIONALITY VISITING BRITAIN, EVEN ON AN OPTIONAL BASIS.
3. THEY COUNTERED THE POINT THAT ENTRY CERTIFICATES WERE IN EFFECT
A FACILITY FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH VERY
FLUENTLY AND WHO MIGHT EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY IN GETTING INTO THE
UK, BY POINTING TO THE FACT THAT A NUMBER OF EC COUNTRIES ALLOWED
HONG KONG PEOPLE IN WITHOUT VISAS AND WITHOUT APPARENT DIFFICULTY AT
IMMIGRATION CONTROL POINTS.
4. THEIR POSITIVE ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF NO (NO) PROVISION FOR ENTRY CERTIFICATES IN RESPECT OF 3N(0) PASSPORTS WERE TWO-FOLD. FIRST, THEY SAW THAT NO (NO) PROVISION TO THIS EFFECT WOULD GIVE BN(0) PASSPORTS AN ADVANTAGE, IN HONG KONG EYES, OVER BDTC PASSPORTS. SECOND, THEY SAW IT AS A SELLING POINT IN PERSUADING OTHER COUNTRIES NOT (NOT) TO IMPOSE A REQUIREMENT THAT HOLDERS OF BN (0) PASSPORTS MUST OBTAIN VISAS BEFORE VISITING THEIR COUNTRIES.
5. WE SHOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD NOW PURSUE THIS LINE WITH
THE HOME OFFICE, AS EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL UNDOUBTEDLY WISH TO KNOW
HOW MATTERS ARE PROGRESSING, I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD KEEP
UN INFORMED OF DEVELOPMENTS.
6. MEMBERS ALSO ADVISED IN FAVOUR OF MULTIPLE VISIT ENTRY
CERTIFICATES FOR HOLDERS OF BDTC PASSPORTS, AS BEING CONSISTENT WITH
THE INTRODUCTION OF MULTIPLE-ENTRY VISAS BY THE US. BUT IN ORDER NOT
(NOT) TO ERODE THE ADVANTAGES OF BH(0) PASSPORTS, THEY ADVISED THAT SUCH MULTIPLE ENTRY CERTIFICATES SHOULD BE VALID ONLY FOR THE
VALIDITY OF THE BDTC PASSPORTS IN WHICH THEY WERE ENTERED. WE ARE
SENDING YOU BY BAG A COPY OF A LETTER FROM THE US CONSULATE GENERAL
HERE EXPLAINING THE US INITIATIVE.
AKERS-JONES
LIMITE
нко
MVD
PSMR LUCE
SIPOS
SIR WHARDIN
Me Wilsono.
CONFIDENTIAL
Jr.