GRS 350
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
.FM HONG KONG 010952Z JUL 85
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1316 OF 1 JULY
# KK040/4
REGISTRY
TOP COPY
DESK OFFER INDEX
PA
1985
FOR GALSWORTHY FROM JEAFFRESÓN
YOUR TELNO 857: BN(0) PASSPORTS AND ENTRY CERTIFICATES.
WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR AN AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT FROM THE
US CONSULATE-GENERAL ON THEIR PRESENT PRACTICE ON GRANTING NON-
EMPLOYMENT VISAS OF INDEFINITE VALIDITY TO HK 3DTCS.
2. MEANWHILE, ON 3 JULY WE WILL BE SEEKING EXECUTIVE COUNCIL'S
ADVICE ON DISPENSING WITH CERTIFICATES OF ENTRY FOR BN (0) PASSPORTS.
3. WE WILL EXPLAIN FULLY THE IMPLICATIONS. TO THIS END, COULD
YOU POSSIBLY ELABORATE ON YOUR POINT THAT, IF THE ENTRY CERTIFICATE SYSTEM WERE ABOLISHED FOR PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG, THE MOST LIKELY RESULT WOULD BE THAT IMMIGRATION OFFICERS WOULD BE EVEN MORE CAREFUL
IN CHECKING VISITORS FROM HONG KONG? OUR STATISTICS SHOW THAT IN
1983 WHILE 50,900 HK BDTCS WERE ADMITTED INTO THE UK, ONLY 15,588
ENTRY CERTIFICATES WERE ISSUED IN HONG KONG (INCLUDING SOME WHICH
WERE MULTIPLE AND SOME ISSUED TO COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS OTHER THAN
HK BDTCS AND SOME WHICH WERE NOT TAKEN UP). THUS THE BULK OF HK
BDTCS TRAVELLING TO THE UK ON THE FACE OF IT WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED
BY THE ABOLITION OF ENTRY CERTIFICATES. THE USERS OF ENTRY CERTIFI-
CATES TEND TO BE THOSE WHO DO NOT SPEAK FLUENT ENGLISH AND WHO
WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE DIFFICULTY IN SATISFYING IMMIGRATION OFFICERS
THAT THEY ARE BONA FIDE VISITORS. THEY WOULD BE AFFECTED. BUT
AS THEY ARE A READILY IDENTIFIABLE GROUP, THE FACT THAT THEY DID
NOT (NOT) HAVE ENTRY CERTIFICATES SHOULD NOT (NOT) CHANGE
IMMIGRATION OFFICERS' ATTITUDES TO THOSE WHO HAD NOT (NOT) BEEN
TRAVELLING WITH ENTRY CERTIFICATES.
4. IT IS NOT (NOT) CORRECT THAT IT IS SAID IN HONG KONG THAT IT
MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHETHER ONE HAS AN ENTRY CERTIFICATE OR NOT.
WE HAVE POINTED OUT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND PUBLICLY THE
ADVANTAGES OF HOLDING AN ENTRY CERTIFICATE, INCLUDING THAT A
TRAVELLER HOLDING ONE MAY BE REFUSED LEAVE TO ENTER ONLY IN LIMITED
CIRCUMSTANCES SET OUT IN RULE 13 OF THE IMMIGRATION RULES, AND THAT HE MAY NOT BE REMOVED UNTIL HIS APPEAL AGAINST REMOVAL HAS BEEN
DETERMINED.
YOUSE
LIMITED
HRD
MVD
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING
MR WILSON
CONFIDENTAL
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