HIMLNAN 3383 CONFIDENTIAL
PP PEK
FM HOKON TO PEKIN
11053OZ NOV
GRS 350
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY PEKING
TELNO 1099
OF 11053OZ NOVEMBER 85
11/072074
280
HKD
NO DISTRIBUTION
THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT
ADVANCED
PARA 3 OF FCO TELNO 1636: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED : ACCEPTABILITY OF BN (0) PASSPORTS.
MY TELNO 2426-9, 2449-51 TO FCO WHICH CONTAIN RECORDS OF INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY AND SELECTED CONSUL-GENERALS/COMMISSIONERS ARE REPEATED TO YOU FOR INFORMATION.
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2429
OF 0704052 NOVEMBER 85
INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA
TIKK 040/28.
INCEN
11NG) 1989
TRY
PARA. 3 OF FCO TELNO 1636: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED : ACCEPTABILITY OF BN(0) PASSPORT: CANADA.
IN INFORMAL DISCUSSION WITH SECRETARY FOR SECURITY YESTERDAY, THE CANADIAN COMMISSIONER AND HIS TWO ASSISTANTS INDICATED THAT -
(A) THEIR
HEADQUARTERS' WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACCEPTABILITY OF
THE BN(0) PASSPORT BECAUSE UNDER REGULATION 14(3) (A) OF THEIR
IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS 1978 AS AMENDED BY THE ORDER IN COUNCIL
OF APRIL 1983 EVERY VISITOR TO CANADA WAS REQUIRED TO BE IN
POSSESSION OF 'A VALID AND SUBSISTING PASSPORT VALID FOR TRAVEL
TO CAMADA, ISSUED TO THAT VISITOR BY THE COUNTRY OF WHICH HE IS A CITIZEN OP NATIONAL AND RECOGNISED BY THE COUNTRY OF ISSUE AS GIVING THAT VISITOR THE RIGHT TO ENTER THE COUNTRY OF ISSUE'. THE BN(0) PASSPORT, WHETHER BEFORE OR AFTER 1997, MIGHT NOT BE AM ACCEPTABLE PASSPORT UNDER THIS REGULATION BECAUSE THE-HOLDER WOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO ENTER THE COUNTRY OF ISSUE, THE UNITED KINGDOM:
(B) AS FAR AS THEY WERE AWARE, THE PROBLEM WITH BOCS WAS PARTLY SOLVED BY THE ISSUE OF MINISTER'S PERMITS' FOR ENTRY INTO CANADA TO SOME BOCS. NO AMENDMENT TO THE 1983 ORDER IN COUNCIL HAD BEEN MADE TO ACCOMMODATE THE BOCS. ON BEING TOLD OF THE ANSWER GIVEN BY HMG TO A PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION IN NOVEMBER 1983 IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT'S REFUSAL TO GRANT ENTRY AS VISITORS TO BOCS, THEY UNDERTOOK TO RESEARCH THE APPARENT ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOMMODATION MADE IN 1983 AND TO SEE IF THE SAME ACCOMMODATION COULD APPLY TO BN (0)S:
(C) IF NECESSARY IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO AMEND THE 1983 ORDER IN COUNCIL TO ACCOMMODATE BN (0)S:
(D) IF THIS TECHNICAL PROBLEM COULD BE SOLVED IN REGARD TO BN(0)S, THEY SAW NO REASON WHY THE EXISTING VISA ABOLITION ARRANGEMENTS APPLYING TO HONG KONG BDTCS VISITING CANADA FOR NOT MORE THAN 90 DAYS SHOULD NOT APPLY TO BN (0)S.
2. THE CANADIAN COMMISSIONER AND HIS STAFF REPEATED THEIR INTEREST IN SECURING THEIR GOVERNMENT'S ACCEPTANCE OF BN (0) PASSPORTS. THEIR LINE IN REPLY TO PRESS ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE ACCEPTABILITY OF BN(0) PASSPORTS TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT, WILL BE THAT THEY HAD NO COMMENTS PENDING HMG'S FORMAL APPROACH TO THE IR GOVERNMENT.
YOUDE
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HMLNAN 3383
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