CONFIDENTIAL
163643 MDHOAN 6951
4. In your paragraph 4, you argue against any kind of endorsement indicating BN (0) status being included in a passport on the grounds that this would tend to indicate that the holder had right of abode in Hong Kong and on the grounds that most of the BCs involved will be beneficiaries under the 1990 Act and that these BCs will lose BDTC/BN (0) status when Section 2(2) of that Act is brought into force. We consider that there is no reason why the form of endorsement now suggested should cause
is As far as Section 2(2) confusion about right of abode. concerned, it is by no means certain that it will be implemented. This question is under consideration between Security Branch, HKID and the Home Office and is as yet unresolved.
a BC passport does serve purpose
5.
The BN (0) endorsement on a (your para 5). In the above individual case the applicant clearly attached some importance to it. In certain cases there
A dual BC/HKBDTC would be advantage in a BC also being a BN(0).
who was unable to transmit BC status to his children born on or after 1.7.97 would, if he had registered as a BN (0), be able to transmit BOC status to such children in accordance with the terms of Article 6(2) of the Hong Kong (BN) Order 1986 if those children would otherwise be stateless. We consider that if the holder of BN (0) status wishes to register and have some evidence of that status we should not deny him/her that possibility. Since we wish to avoid the proliferation of passports (holding separate BC and BDTC/BN (0) passports as apposed to holding BDTC and BN (0) passports concurrently is not an option), the neatest arrangement is simply to incorporate BN (0) status into the BC passport.
6.
On the objections you raise in your para 6 to the procedure of registering an eligible BC as a BN (O), we explored the possibility of having BDTC passports endorsed with BN (O) status. We were persuaded against this course by Security Branch, on the grounds that after 1997, the Chinese would not wish to see passports showing BDTC status and because the concession agreed by the Home Secretary had been interpreted in Hong Kong as willingness to allow BDTCs to hold two passports (your telno 1028).
a
You suggest that the procedure we have laid down for registering an eligible BC as a BN (O) undermines the Phased Registration Programme. We do not
how combining BC and BN (0)
see
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