CONFIDENTIAL
Most of the countries which are the main destinations for travellers from Hong Kong have offered their public support. Many countries (e.g. most eastern European and Arab countries) have not responded and indeed we did not expect them to. But no country has said it will not accept the BN (0) passport for travel to and from its territory. We are optimistic that as a result of our explanations immigration authorities throughout the world will be aware of the existence of British passports endorsed with the national status of British National (Overseas). The passport duly came into existence on 1 July this year. We fully expect people holding such passports to be able to travel as widely and as freely as they did using BDTC passports. We will of course continue to monitor the situation as to ensure that this is the case. the passport comes more into use,
4.
In
A few countries have indicated to us privately that their acceptance of the passport will be subject to review in 1997. practice we have to accept that many governments may want to look again at the question, perhaps with a view to introducing or tightening visa requirements (though we would certainly seek to dissuade them from such a step). But these provisos have been kept strictly private and no reference has been made to them in public either by the countries concerned or by HMG or the HKG.
5.
In Hong Kong there is inevitably great interest in the international acceptability of the new passport. Opinion there has tended to associate acceptability with public statements of support. Much unhelpful media comment in Hong Kong arose recently when, through bureaucratic delays, the Thai authorities were unable to respond to our approaches on BN (0) before the passport actually started being issued. Therefore despite the evidence that travellers holding BN (0) passports had experienced no difficulty entering Thailand, travel agents in Hong Kong started advising people intending to go there to apply for BDTC passports instead.
1987 the Thai Government finally, on 17 August, confirmed that the passport was acceptable in the same way as Hong Kong BDTC passports. The press statement put out by the Hong Kong Government following
Nevertheless it this communication helped to reduce press interest.
was an unfortunate episode which served to rekindle doubts about the value of the BN (0) passport, applications for which had till then
CONFIDENTIAL