3
1
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non-Chinese origin with a form of British citizenship so circumscribed as to make it practically useless. There has also been widespread sympathy for the claims by a small group of former servicemen who defended Hong Kong on Britain's behalf in the Second World War.
Acceptability of the BN (0) Passport
These doubts will to ensure that the This must include to ensure that some 70
On the day of the debate we were assured by the Hong Kong Government that it is the intention of HMG and the Chinese Government that Chinese British Dependent Territories Citizens (BDTCs) will be allowed to hold both British National (Overseas) (BN (0)) passports and Special Administrative Region passports after 1 July 1997 and that the BN (0) passports will be allowed to state, albeit in an indirect manner, that their holders have the right of abode in Hong Kong. But doubts remain whether the BN (0) passport will be of any practical use. persist until we see HMG take action new passport is fully acceptable. negotiations with third countries visa abolition agreements now applying to the BDTC passport will also apply
will also apply to the BN (0)
the BN (0) passport. Equally important, we must be convinced that the introduction of a sixth type of British passport will not make it difficult for Hong Kong people to enter the United Kingdom. They do not any longer expect to be given a right of abode. But they do expect to have an unqualified right to visit the land of which they are nationals, and not to be harrassed by immigration officials who question
question their credentials are suspicious of their motives. Measures should be introduced to allow unobstructed and untroubled entry into the United Kingdom by bona fide travellers from Hong Kong: this could
could be achieved by words in the BN (0) passport stating that the holder has permission to visit for the duration of the passport or at least for a specified period. This would help to make third countries less wary of those who travel on the novel passport.
and