CONFIDENTIAL
Director of Immigration
IMM/CR 2/1341
3-7328200
8 March 1985
MEMO
Το
Mr D G Jeaffreson
Secretary for Security
Your Ref.
in
dated
(130)
Ref.
In
Tel. No
Date
Visa Abolition
-
Federal Republic of Germany
35
G.F. 7
7 March.
2.
The German Consul-General called to see me on
Much to my surprise Mr Kuehn said that he proposed to put a case to Bonn for the abolition of visas for HK passport holders visiting the FRG. He sought my help in establishing certain facts.
3.
The reasons for this unexpected move appear to be pressure from Bonn to make staff savings and wish to rid himself from the conflicts with the public arising from visa work. He had learned from his Austrian colleague that the Austrian decision taken last year to abolish visas for HK visitors had caused no problems. Mr Kuehn believed that a similar move by Germany would benefit both sides with no loss of security.
4.
In response I welcomed this initiative, and gave statistics on HK BDTCs. As Mr Kuehn was under the impression that they needed visas to visit UK, I explained that entry certificates were an optional facility and that many
HK BDTCs entered Britain without ECs. Anticipating objections from his Interior Ministry, I explained the eligibility criteria for passports and the comprehensive civil registration system which guarded against fraudulent passport issue, even more so than in UK.
5.
This
Mr Kuehn raised the old chestnut of HKG paying for the repatriation of overstayers. During the course of discussion it emerged that the Consulate rarely, if ever, refuses to issue visas to visitors with return tickets. very liberal procedure has not led to any overstaying problems. Determined illegal immigrants can enter by crossing from other countries without passing through border controls. I pointed out that there were very few overstayers repatriated from other EC countries, and that most of those paid their own fares. The argument that visa abolition would lead to a drain on the German taxpayer was, illogical and unsupported by experience elsewhere.
SAFE
CARE REGISTRY
1 1 MAX 1985
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