DE 18-77
O Ltd.
7/84
EINLAULJ
COVE
FILE
Mr. Lloyd, Consular Dept
REPATRIATION OF BN(O) S
1.
2.
255;
Mr Harrison's minute of 5 February refers.
(256
We are grateful! for your agreement that the package of consu!аг protection must include the possibility of repatriation to Hong Kong as a i as t resort. We do not think there could be any objection to the impounding of passports, issuing of speciaf
documents etc
2.
However we do not think there is any
any possibility at all of an agreement with the SAR governmen t that the latter would pay for such repatriation. Nor do we see now we could possibly a sk either the SAR government ог the Chinese for such agreement. As part of the business of getting the Hong Kong agreement accepted in Hong Kong we had to
press tne Chinese very hard for tnese people to be allowed to carry British passports after 1997 for their lifetimes. If we were now to approach the Chinese and to Say that the SAR government and not we should be responsibe tor tne cost of final resort repatriation of such people to Hong Kong when
when they are
they are travelling
travelling on British passports, the approach would be greeted with derision. The Chinese would no doubt say tnat we snould make our minds up whether we wish the people to be British or Chinese. More seriously, such an approach would be asking for the Chinese to
the Chinese to let it be known in Hong Kong that while prepared to до through the motions of giving British passports to tnese people, we were not prepared to accept
accept any for responsibility
them wnen it came to the crunch; would be extremely damaging in Hong Kong, especially at the
present moment.
we
real
3.
were
accepted
as
a
There is
of
this
What it comes down to is tnat for better or worse we have
that
matter of
British law tnese
be will people British during their lifetimes. We now have to live with the consequences, and one of them seems to be that i f they need repatriating we shall have to take responsibility for it and, in extremis pay for it.
course nothing to prevent us pursuing the people concerned through the Courts in Hong Kong for repayment of the money I f we have got t nem to Sign a proper undertaking to
to repay. I would also see I t as Consulate-General to obtain undertakings to
rela ives where necessary.
4.
If
submission a
to
function of the repay etc from
Ministers on
this
I S
necessary
we
should be happy
be happy to contribute to it.
15
ebruary 1986
CONFIDENTIAL
A M Layden
Hong Kong Department
WH 306
HKM 0404
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
13 FEB 1986
233 4381