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DIFFICULTIES WOULD ARISE: BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS WOULD ARRIVE IN
THE UK WITHOUT ENTRY CERTIFICATES AND WOULD OBJECT TO BEING
QUESTIONED BY IMMIGRATION OFFICERS, BELIEVING THAT THEY WERE
ENTITLED TO ENTER THE UK AUTOMATICALLY, SOME WOULD INEVITABLY BE
REFUSED ADMISSION. THEY WOULD CERTAINLY CLAIM THAT, BY AGREEING
TO THE ENDORSEMENT, HMG HAD MISLED THEM AS TO THEIR RIGHTS.
WHILE FULLY REALISING THE PRESSURE THERE NOW IS FROM HONG KONG
FOR SUCH AN ENDORSEMENT, MINISTERS ARE CLEAR THAT IT WOULD BE
WRONG TO EMBARK ON A COURSE WHICH WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY LEAD TO
THEIR BEING ACCUSED, WITH SOME JUSTIFICATION, OF DELIBERATELY
MISLEADING TRAVELLERS.
3.
WE HAVE BEEN GIVING FURTHER URGENT THOUGHT TO WHAT MORE
MIGHT BE DONE TO ALLAY ANXIETIES IN HONG KONG. MINISTERS INTEND
TO STATE CLEARLY IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE ON THE ORDER IN
COUNCIL WHAT THE TRUE POSITION IS, EMPHASISING THAT BN(0)
PASSPORT HOLDERS WILL NOT REQUIRE ENTRY CLEARANCE TO VISIT THE
UK, ENTRY CERTIFICATES BEING AN OPTIONAL CONVENIENCE. THEY WILL
ALSO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE ARE DETERMINED TO MAKE THE MAXIMUM
EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT BN(0) PASSPORTS ARE ACCEPTED IN THIRD
COUNTRIES IN JUST THE SAME WAY AS BDTC ONES.
4.
WE HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH HOME OFFICE OFFICIALS WHO
ARE CONCERNED TO BE AS HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE IN THIS DIFFICULT AREA
- AND HAVE DISCUSSED IN A PRELIMINARY WAY ONE IDEA WHICH YOU MAY
WISH TO CONSIDER. THIS IS THAT A GENERAL STATEMENT, COUCHED IN
THE MOST POSITIVE POSSIBLE TERMS, OF THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF
BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS MIGHT BE PRINTED ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF
PAPER WHICH COULD BE INSERTED IN A BN(0) PASSPORT IF THE HOLDER
WISHED. YOU MAY, IF YOU THINK IT HELPFUL, TRY THIS IDEA OUT ON
EXCO ON 7 JANUARY.
5.
PARA 3 OF TUR. THE ARGUMENT YOU REFER TO WAS INCLUDED BY
THE HOME OFFICE MERELY TO DRAW ATTENTION TO A CONSIDERATION THEY
HAVE TO BEAR IN MIND AFFECTING PASSPORT ENDORSEMENTS IN GENERAL.
THERE IS OF COURSE NO INTENTION OF IMPOSING AN ENTRY CERTIFICATE OR VISA REQUIREMENT FOR BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS VISITING THE UK.
WHEN WILSON SPOKE TO YOU BY TELEPHONE ON 3 JANUARY, HE
ASKED WHETHER A PASSPORT ENDORSEMENT DRAWING ATTENTION TO BOTH
6.
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CONFIDENTIAL