$
83
BRITISH EMBASSY
Kastelsvej 38-40 Dk-2100 Copenhagen Denmark
Telex 27106 a/b: Briemb DK Telegrams Prodrome Telephone TRIA 6360
NEW TELEPHONE No, (01) 26-46-00
A J Cambridge, Esq
Migration and Visa Department
FCO
Your reference GVV HK/349/1
Our reference
нико
RECEIVED ...
0+0/2
28
Date
8 July 1985
17 JCL 1985
DI
Dear Alan F
HONG KONG PASSPORT HOLDERS: DANISH VISA REQUIREMENTS
1.
68
Would you please refer to your letter GVV HK/349/1 of 5 June 1985.
2.
After consulting the Head of Chancery, on 4 July I called on Mr Peter Sally, a senior official in Department RII of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. RII is the department responsible within the MFA for visa and passport policy.
3. I spoke on the lines of paragraphs 2 and 3 of your letter making it clear that our approach was informal and that we were concerned only about genuine visitors. I handed over a copy of the attached speaking note.
4.
Sally confirmed that the Nordic Passport Union countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) had in 1983 decided to apply a visa requirement for certain British passport holders who did not have the Right of Abode in the UK. In the case of the Danes, their views had been formed largely on the basis of an extensive report submitted in February 1983 by the Embassy in London following discussions with the Home Office on the 1981 BNA. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Danish Governments had become more sensitive to immigration pressures from a number of nationalities. Those pressures had increased because of higher levels of unemployment in the country. When I pressed the point, Sally conceded that British passport holders had not presented serious problems for the Danes.
5
The Nordic Passport Union countries meet at least annually to discuss passport and visa questions of mutual interest. Since visitors in those countries travel more freely once admitted to any one of them it is possible that the Danes will wish to consult with the other capitals about changing the visa requirement introduced in 1983. Sally saw that there was a question of interpretation to be examined in relation to Denmark's own position. He said he was sure we were right in saying the Danes had not signified in 1982/83 any view which differed from the British interpretation of the 1947 Visa Abolition Agreement in relation to the 1981 BNA.
RESTRICTED
...../6.