or discussion
CONFIDENTIAL
on 7 January 1986
Very badly
anfired - Exco really at times misled
are
10/1
XCC(86)10
Copy No.
MEMORANDUM FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
HONG KONG AGREEMENT:
WHITE PAPER ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986
N
Powell 3893
A
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Біб
Logite or this to see
Introduction
ра
Nutraly
Among the points Members of the Legislative Council raised in the adjournment debate on the White Paper on the Draft Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986, was that HMG should take the lead in giving holders of British National (Overseas) (BN (0)) passports visa-free access to third countries by endorsing BN (0) passports with automatic permission to land in the United Kingdom.
2
The difficulty with the proposal is that only persons with the right of abode in Britain have an unquestionable right to land there. Immigration officers must have discretion to refuse landing to travellers who cannot satisfy them that they are seeking to enter Britain for the purposes they have stated (e.g. that a visitor is a visitor and not someone intending to settle). When this point was explained to UMELCO, it was suggested that an alternative endorsement in BN(0) passports might be:
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'the holder of this passport does not require an entry certificate or a visa to enter the United Kingdom as a visitor".
Arguments for the revised endorsement
The arguments for this endorsement are:
3
(a) it
would
remove
the
are
widespread misunderstanding that Hong Kong BDTCs required to have visas or entry certificates for visiting the UK;
(b) as
the endorsement would be a statement of fact, it would not be contrary to the UK's immigration rules;
a
(c) Hong Kong travellers would probably welcome agreement to such an endorsement as positive response by HMG towards relaxing entry requirements for Hong Kong BDTCs; and
нки RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
15 JAN 1986
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
K
911.
REGISTRY Action Taken
CONFIDENTIAL
7