MTZACJ (2)
Background
CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS: ENTRY REFUSALS
1.
One
On 9 April two Hong Kong British passport holders at
Heathrow were refused permission to enter the UK for a visit. carried a BDTC passport and the other a BN (0) passport. The two men
have complained to OMELCO about their treatment and have alleged
police brutality. The Home Office have now received a written
appeal from the two men refused entry. This will be handled in accordance with normal procedures. The two men's complaints of
brutality by the police will be handled under the normal procedures
for such matters by the Police Complaints Authority, as and when a
formal complaint is received by the Authority.
2.
There have also been reports from Hong Kong that 14
Hong Kong British passport holders were refused entry at Dover on 29
April. No formal complaint has yet been received. The Immigration
Service have reported that, of the tour group concerned, whose
members were individually interviewed and whose cases were
individually assessed, a number failed to satisfy the Immigration
Officer that they intended to stay as visitors only for the period
stated. There were inconsistencies in onward flight details, and
the cost of the holiday appeared greatly disproportionate to their
claimed incomes and financial circumstances. of the three persons
given leave to enter, a check of airline records shows that one has
not departed on the flight he stated he would use.
3.
On the Heathrow incident, from further information provided
so far by the Home Office it appears that the decision to refuse
entry was based on the following facts:
(a) The men failed to satisfy the Immigration Officers that
they indeed intended just a visit to the UK. Apparently they had left their tour group. They told officials they wished to stay in the UK for 2/3 days, when in fact they had onward tickets for Hong
Kong on the following day (on Cathay Pacific). The officials
deduced that the claimed period of stay was chosen at random, and
that they could well have been intending to stay longer.
CONFIDENTIAL