BCC: Head of Chancery, Bonn
Governor, Hong Kong Chief Whip
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
29 January 1982
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AFLEYL
I should be most grateful if you would look at a matter which is causing some concern in Hong Kong and which was raised with me when I was there recently.
The Federal Republic is the only member of the Community which
When this was last requires visas for visitors from Hong Kong. raised with your department by our Embassy in Bonn in April 1980, we were told that there could be no change unless Her Majesty's Government agreed to admit al1 Hong Kong British passport holders to the UK should their deportation from the Federal Republic become necessary. We explained that the Hong Kong Government were quite prepared to guarantee to take all such people back direct to Hong Kong. However, we were told that this would not be acceptable to your Government as there was a difference in the eyes of the Federal Ministry of the Interior between guarantees of readmission given by HMG and by Hong Kong.
There is
I think that there must be a misunderstanding here. no reason for a guarantee from Hong Kong to be given any less weight. I should stress that it may be taken as a valid assurance that the person in question will be received back in Hong Kong and will not be a burden on the FRG.
Other countries throughout the world including our Community partners accept the Hong Kong Government's guarantee and I am not
There are aware of their having had any difficulties over it. direct flights from the Federal Republic to Hong Kong and there
The alternativ should be no problems in arranging such deportations. would be to deport Hong Kong passport holders to the UK initially but this would be administratively very complicated and expensive involving as it would two separate flights and detention in this country.
I should be most grateful if you could have this looked at again. I believe that there is considerable mutual value in contacts between Hong Kong and the FRG. I hope that everything possible can be done to encourage them.
With very good wishes.
Frau Dr Hamm-Bruecher Auswartiges Amt
Yours sincself
Pemfang Willing