GRS 400
CONFIDENT HAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2739
OF 05085OZ DECEMBER 85
INFO IMMED HATE PEKING
(530
CONFIDENTIAL
ADOO DOD
ohe HKK 040/4.
RECEIVED.NALIS
- 5 DEC 1985
な
IMDXX
MY TELNO 2733 : NATIONALITY ORDER 'N COUNCIL : FORTHCOMING
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE.
1. THE OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN ON IMMIGRATION AFFAIRS, MR ALFRED DUBS, WAS PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEBATE ON THE
BRITISH NATIONALITY (OVERSEAS) ORDER IN COUNCIL. ONE SIDE OF THE PUBLIC GALLERY WAS FILLED BY 40 LEADING MEMBERS OF THE INDIAN COMMUNITY. THE SPEECHES OF THE UNOFFICIALS WERE DELIVERED WITH
CONVICTION AND THE IMPACT ON A LISTENER WILL HAVE BEEN GREATER THAN
A SUMMARY OF THE MAIN POINTS WOULD SUGGEST.
2. THERE WERE THREE MAIN THEMES RUNNING THROUGH THE DEBATE. THE
FIRST WAS THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WILL NOW BE LOOKING TO MMG TO
ENSURE THAT THE BN(0) PASSPORT WILL ACHIEVE THE SAME STANDING AND
THE SAME VISA-FREE ACCESS TO THE OVER 70 COUNTRIES TO WHICH THE
PRESENT BDTC PASSPORT GIVES ACCESS. TO DEMONSTRATE TO OTHER COUNTIRES
THAT THEY CAN SAFELY GIVE VISA-FREE ACCESS HMG SHOULD AGREE TO STAMP A ''RIGHT TO LAND' IN THE UK (NOT A RIGHT OF ABODE) IN THE PASSPORT, THUS GIVING HOLDERS OF BN(0) PASSPORTS A FREE RIGHT OF VISIT TO THE UK. THE SPEAKERS ASKED THAT LEGCO SHOULD BE MNFORMED OF HOW AND
WHEN HMG WOULD APPROACH OTHER COUNTRIES TO ACHIEVE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PASSPORT AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE VISA-FREE REGIME. THEPE WAS MORE THAN ONE REFERENCE TO MR LUCE'S ASSURANCE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN FEBRUARY THAT BN (0) PASSPOPT HOLDERS WOULD NOT NEED TO CARRY THEIR IDENTITY CARDS IN ADDITION TO THE PASSPORT.
3. THE SECOND THEME WAS THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR NON-HONG KONG CHINESE BDTCS (1.E. THE MINORITIES, MAINLY THE INDIANS) WERE NOT GOOD ENOUGH. THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN BRITISH CITIZENSHIP OR BDTC STATUS WITH THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN ANOTHER BRITISH TERRITORY. THE DENIAL OF SUCH CITIZENSHIP TO HONG KONG CHINESE SHOULD NOT BE MADE A PRETEXT FOR DENYING IT TO THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES. THE PRECEDENT OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP FOR THE GIBRALTAR HANS AND THE FALKLANDERS
SHOWED THAT IT COULD BE DONE
4. TWO OR THREE MEMBERS ARGUED THAT ABOUT 400 EX-SERVICEMEN WHO
HAD FOUGHT FOR THE UK IN HONG KONG IN THE LAST WAR SHOULD ALSO BE
GPANTED EPITISH CITIZENSHIP CONFIDENTIA
15
1.0
($32