Mr Low
CONFIDENTIAL
-HKK040/28
Reference GVV MEX/341/1
RECEIVED IN TREGISTRY
19 AUG 1985
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127
table люб antarles
cc: Mr Thompson, MCAD
Mrs Priest, HKD
Mr Cole, WIAD
Mr. Ehrman to see, expened, the drap etter attached. I home Presected a
number of champer to the chaps to take accoming our concerns.
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MEXICO: VISA REQUIREMENTS ON BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY CITIZENS
1.
On the basis of Mexico City telegram No 7 to Hamilton it appears that the Mexican authorities have placed a visa requirement on BDTCs Presumably as a result of the British Nationality Act (BNA 1981). This requirement has in the main fallen on British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTCS) of the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Hong Kong. The Governemnts of the two latter are put out, particularly Hong Kong.
2.
Is the Mexican action incorrect? Strictly speaking it is not, at least as far as BDTCs bearing Dependent Territory passports are concerned. The 1959 bilateral Visa Abolition Agreement (VAA) only grants visa free entry to Mexico to holders of British passports issued by Passports Officers in the UK and Islands (i.e. Channel Islands and Isle of Man) and by British Embassies, Consulates and High Commissions in which the bearer is described as "British Subject" or "British Subject, Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (or Islands and Colonies)". Passports issued by Dependent Territories (DTs) were excluded except those issued by the Government of British Honduras to which the VAA was extended in 1963. The latter ceased to have effect when British Honduras became Belize upon independence. Mexicans travelling to other DTs were not exempt from a visa requirement although until the Mexicans introduced their requirements in 1983 neither the DTS nor Mexico enforcedit.
3. As you will see from the attached table the VAA with
The first Mexico falls into the third category of current VAAS. is those concluded before the coming into effect of the BNA 1948 and refers only to British Subjects (i.e. the category which today includes British Citizen (BC), BDTC, British Overseas Citzien (BOC) and British Subjects). The second and third employ the nationality nomenclature introduced by the BNA 1948 on 1 January 1948. The second generally included all Citizens of the UK and Colonies (CUKC) including those of DTS. generally excluded DTS. one have been amended to take into account the provision of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968 (subsumed by the Immigration Act 1971) which subjected certain
British passports holders to UK immigration control.
The third
CODE 18-77
CONFIDENTIAL
/4.