CONFIDENTIAL
065226 MDLIAN 1327
TO ENSURE THAT BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS ENJOYED THE SAME PRIVILEGES AS BDTC's. THEY URGED THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO CONSIDER WHETHER
PASSPORTS AN ENDORESEMENT SIMILAR TO THAT INCLUDED IN BN (0) SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN BDTC PASSPORTS.
THEY ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING ENTRY CERTIFICATES WHICH WERE MORE STRINGENT THAT THOSE FOR OBTAINING VISAS TO ENTER OTHER COUNTRIES. THE SERETARY OF STATE REFERRED TO THE VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN MOUNTED TO SECURE ACCEPTANCE OF
THIS WOULD CONTINUE AND SPECIFIC DIFFICULTIES THE BN (0) PASSPORT.
HE WOULD TAKE UP WOULD BE RAISED WITH THE GOVERNMENTS CONCERNED. THE SUGGESTION OF AN ENDORSEMENT IN THE BDTC PASSPORT BUT HE THOUGHT THAT THE HOME OFFICE MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTIES WITH THIS.
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HEATHROW 6. MEMBERS DREW ATTENTION TO INCIDENTS ON 9 APRIL AT
BEEN AND ON 26 APRIL AT DOVER WHEN HONG KONG TRAVELLERS HAD REFUSED ENTRY TO THE UK AND HAS BEEN REQUIRED TO RETURN TO THEIR PORT OF EMBARCATION. THE ADVERSE PUBLICITY HAD ERODED CONFIDENCE IN BRITISH PASSPORTS. THEY SUGGESTED THE NEED TO
ΤΟ REMIND UK IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS OF THE NEED FOR COURTESY HONG KONG TRAVELLERS THAT THOSE WHO ARE REFUSED ENTRY SHOULD BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN TO HONG KONG AND NOT COMPELLED TO RETURN TO THEIR PORT OF EMBARCATION, AND THAT IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES PASSPORTS SHOULD NOT BE ENDORSED THAT THE HOLDERS HAD BEEN REFUSED ENTRY. THE SECRETARY OF STATE ASSURED MEMBERS THAT THERE
HE WAS NO INTENTION TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST HONG KONG PEOPLE. EXPLAINED THAT ANY COUNTRY HAD TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM FOR SCREENING ARRIVING TRAVELLERS BUT CONCEDED THAT IMMIGRATION OFFICERS MIGHT SOMETIMES FALL BELOW STANDARDS OF PERFECTION. HE WAS NOT SURE WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THOSE REFUSED ENTRY TO BE RETURNED DIRECTLY TO HONG KONG RATHER THAN THEIR PORT OF EMBARCATION: BUT HE WOULD LOOK INTO THIS.
7. TIME DID NOT PERMIT ANY DISCUSSION AT LENGTH ON THE BASIC LAW: BUT MEMBERS REFERRED BRIEFLY TO CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROVISIONS WHICH WOULD ENABLE THE NPC TO ENACT LAWS APPLYING TO HONG KONG AND WHICH WOULD GIVE THE STATE COUNCIL THE RIGHT TO INTERPRET THE BASIC LAW. THEY WERE ALSO WORRIED ABOUT THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST SARG. NOTED WITH CONCERN THE SUGGESTION MADE TO THE EARLY MAY THAT CONSULTATION ON THE SELECTION OF PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS ETC. MIGHT START AS EARLY AS 1991. THIS HAD RAISED THE OF EARLY INTERFERENCE.
THEY HAD CHIEF SECRETARY IN
8. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT THERE WERE MANY
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