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нии ocolu 040/4
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1 1 MAR 1986
CONFIDENTIAL
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
PERSONAL FOR LAYDEN FROM GOVERNOR
309
YOUR TELNO 439: NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL
1. IN CONSULTED EXECUTIVE COUNCIL THIS MORNING, PUTTING TO THEM THE ARGUMENTS IN TUR. THEIR RESPONSE WAS, TO SAY THE LEAST OF IT,
COOL.
2. THEY RECOGNISED THAT THE ENDORSEMENT AS PROPOSED WOULD PROBABLY
SATISFY THIRD COUNTRIES THAT THE HOLDER OF THE PASSPORT DID NOT
REQUIRED A VISA TO VISIT THE UK AND WOULD THUS BE OF SOME HELP IN
THAT REGARD. BUT MEMBERS HAD SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THE ACCEPTABILITY
HIN HONG KONG OF THE QUALIFYING PHRASE "IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
CURRENT IMMIGRATION RULES' WHICH THEY THOUGHT WOULD LEAD TO
SUSPICION OF HMG'S INTENTIONS AS REGARDS THE FUTURE. THEY WERE
UNCONVINCED BY THE ARGUMENT THAT THE QUALIFYING PHRASE WAS
NECESSARY TO AVOND BINDING A SUCCESSOR GOVERNMENT. THEY REFERRED TO THE FACT THAT ENDORSEMENTS SUCH AS CUKC, APPARENTLY VALUED FOR THE LIFE OF THE PASSPORT, HAD NOT PREVENTED HMG FROM MODIFYING
BY LEGISLATION BOTH THE STATUS AND THE ATTENDANT IMMIGRATION
RIGHTS BEFORE THE VALIDITY OF THE PASSPORTS HAD EXPIRED.
3. SOME MEMBERS THOUGHT THAT SOME LEGCO MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC
MIGHT PREFER NOTHING TO A QUALIFIED ENDORSEMENT WHICH WOULD AROUSE
SUSPICION THAT A CHANGE IN THE IMMIGRATION RULES WOULD BE MADE,
OR MIGHT EVEN BE IMMINENT. OTHER MEMBERS WERE LESS SURE THAT THE
REACTION WOULD BE ADVERSE TO THAT DEGREE. BUT ALL MEMBERS AGREED
THAT THE PRICE IN TERMS OF ACCEPTABILITY OF THE LEGAL CAUTION
EMBODIED IN THE FIRST CLAUSE COULD BE HIGH.
CONFIDENTIAL
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