Nationality and Treaty Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Petty France
Clive House
W A Kelly Esq British Embassy BRUSSELS
Petty France London SW1H 9HD
Telephone 01-270
Ma n
13
Heems
Very odd. It Immigration froze thank
shouldn't sque
that we
the
Hory. Kingers with pussperrts
Europe
il no actor for
That Keep
Your referencebut
Our reference
Date
HKD 3403
28- November 1990
RECEIVER
TRY
13 DEC 1990
3/12
on Rye
Den Helly Три
Yes
DESH OFrien
INDEX
PA
1. The Passport Department have sent to me a memorandum they recently received from Mr Jones of the Immigration Service Intelligence Unit at Harmondsworth about the issue of British passports to Hong Kong citizens. I enclose a copy of that memo which is self-explanatory.
2. I spoke to Mr Jones and expressed some concern that he had been dealing direct with Mrs Marinus in Antwerp, who I understand is the LEIII Consular clerk. I also pointed out to him that no passport applicant in Belgium would need to insist upon being issued with a burgundy passport; as far as standard issues are concerned, there is nowadays no choice. I explained that anybody who is entitled to a British passport can apply for a replacement at any time and that no Consular Officer can refuse an application (although of course if suspicions are aroused these can if necessary be passed on to the appropriate authorities).
3. Mr Jones repeated to me what is in his memorandum, ie that at a conference last May, European Immigration Officers were unaware that we issue two types of British passport and that therefore non-Community nationals, if they were in possession of a British "lookalike" passport were able to come and go as they wished. I expressed some surprise at this. I told Mr Jones that I was going to bring his memo to your attention and would be grateful for any comment you may have on it. Could you please also let me know whether it is standard procedure for Antwerp to process all passport applications before forwarding them to you for issue. In the countries where passport work is centralised, the subordinate posts hand out application forms and that is the limit of their involvement. And certainly subordinate posts which do not have passport and nationality expertise would not be expected to become involved in official enquires from a UK Government Department.
4.
Because of the Immigration angle, I am copying this letter and enclosure to Lawrence Stephenson in MVD.
we
Your
Auz
CA Hamilton