GRS 350
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 3422
OF 17070OZ OCTOBER 86
1E NOV 1986 CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICES LONDON,
BRUSSELS
INFO ROUTINE PARIS
NATIONALITY: INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF BN (0) PASSPORTS
AT OUR REQUEST, CONSUL-GENERAL OF FRANCE (SOULE-SUSBIELLES) CALLED ON SECRETARY FOR SECURITY ON 16 OCTOBER FOR US TO RESPOND TO ANY POINTS HE MIGHT HAVE ON THE NOTE WE HAD SENT HIM ON THE BN(0) PASSPORT. DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION WAS ALSO PRESENT.
2.
SOULE-SUSBIELLES ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION ON THE VARIOUS KINDS OF TRAVEL DOCUMENTS HELD BY HONG KONG RESIDENTS AND THE NUMBERS INVOLVED. HE WAS ALSO INTERESTED IN THE IR VALIDITY PERIODS AND THEIR CONTINUED USAGE AFTER 1997.
3. A PARAGRAPH BY PARAGRAPH DISCUSSION OF THE THIRD PERSON NOTE THEN FOLLOWED. THE C-G WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE RIGHTS, OBLIGATIONS AND TRANSMISSIBILITY OF BOC. WE ALSO DISCUSSED AT SOME LENGTH THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN BN(0) PASSPORTS AND
NEW C OF IS.
ON VISA ABOLITION SOULE-SUSBIELLES ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION ON VISA-FREE ENTRY TO THE UK FOR BDTC AND DN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS. SOULE-SUSBIELLES MADE THE POINT THAT FRENCH IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS WERE CONFUSED BY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BC PASSPORT HOLDERS WHO HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN UK AND BDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS WHO DO NOT. HE SUGGESTED IT WAS BECAUSE THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT HAD UNDERSTOOD ALL HOLDERS OF BRITISH PASSPORTS HAD THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK THAT HAD LED TO THEIR ALLOWING HOLDERS OF BDTC PASSPORTS TO ENTER FRANCE WITHOUT VISAS.
5. S FOR S STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE FOR HONG KONG OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT REVERTING TO THE VISA-FREE ARRANGEMENT FOR BDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS AND EXTENDING IT TO BN (0) PASSPORTS WHEN THE PRESENT VISA REGIME WAS RELAXED. THE C-G APPEARED TO ACCEPT THE POINT THAT TRAVELLERS FROM HONG KONG HAD CAUSED NO DIFFICULTIES IN FRANCE.
6.
BUT HE WAS NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT LIFTING VISA REQUIREMENT SOON AND SAID THAT, THE TERRORIST THREAT APART, PUBLIC OPINION WAS FOR STRICTER ENTRY TO FRANCE.
CONFIDENTIAL
$