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16 OCT 1985
REGISTRY
MY SECOND IPT: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF 'QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS'.
1.
BEGINS
WHY IS THE ORDER BEING INTRODUCED SO FAR IN ADVANCE OF 1997?
1.
THREE REASONS. FIRST ANY LATER THAN 1 JULY 1987 WOULD
MEAN ISSUE OF RESTRICTED VALIDITY BDTC PASSPORTS (NORMAL
VALIDITY OF A BRITISH PASSPORT IS 10 YEARS) FOR THOSE WHO
WISH TO TRAVEL BEFORE 1997. SECOND, TO GIVE HONG KONG
PLENTY OF TIME TO PROCESS ALL APPLICATIONS BEFORE 1997.
THIRD, TO GIVE TIME FOR OTHER COUNTRIES TO GET USED TO
BN(0) PASSPORTS.
WHY IS BN(0) NOT TRANSMISSIBLE?
2.
CHINESE WERE NOT PREPARED TO ACCEPT THAT ANYONE BORN IN
HONG KONG AFTER JUNE 1997 SHOULD ACQUIRE BN(0) STATUS BY
VIRTUE OF A CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG. NOT THEREFORE
POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE FOR TRANSMISSION OF BN(0) STATUS TO
CHILDREN BORN AFTER JUNE 1997.
WHY DO BN(O)S HAVE TO REGISTER?
3.
NO COMPULSION TO BECOME A BN(0). MUST BE A MATTER OF CHOICE. REGISTRATION IS A SIMPLE, TRADITIONAL AND
CONVENIENT WAY OF RECORDING THOSE WHO HAVE BECOME BN(0)S
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