CONFIDENTIAL
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There are howev
take a final decision on the look-alike format. political arguments in favour of acceding to Hong Kong's wish as an earnest of HMG's continuing interest in the residents of the colony.
CFP Look-Alike Format
7.
A decision on Hong Kong cannot however be taken on its own. It would seem right that whatever format of passport we decide to to British nationals (overseas) should also be available to all other categories of British nationals without EC rights. I re here to passports issued in this country or at British Diplomatic missions overseas. Passports issued in Dependent Territories will already be different in bearing the name of the territory instead of 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.
8. As you know, because of the passport's primary role of assisting British nationals to travel worldwide, NTD strongly favours a look-alike which differs from the European CFP only in the omission of European markings. I understand that the Passport Department of the Home Office would also be able to accept this and that, in the context of Hong Kong, Immigration and Nationality Division of the Home Office have indicated that the Immigration Service in this country would have no difficulty in distinguishing between European CFPS and look-alikes bearing this strong degree of family resemblance. (This is of course to be seen against the background of the Home Office's insistence on maintaining a system of individual checks on all passengers entering this country.) Any additional signalling of non-EC British nationals' passports could give rise to criticisı in this country on the grounds that such passport were clearly bein identified as 'second class' and would invite the suspicion of othe countries' immigration controllers. Discrimination of this sort would provide critics in this country with yet another stick with which to beat the Government.
9. To sum up, under the terms of the 1981 Resolution we have the option to issue full European CFPS to all British nationals and this was accepted by our EC partners. We shall not avail ourselves fully of this option, but will wish to issue British nationals without EC rights with a passport which resembles the European CFP. For our own purposes it would be sufficient to distinguish externally such passports issued outside the Dependent Territories by simply dropping the European markings. We are under no obligation to do more and in the view of NTD would be courting criticism if we were to do so.
11.
The final decision will be for the Home Office but they will
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