WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1985
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IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP TO DEAL WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM AND +WORK OUT A SUITABLE BUT IRREVOCABLE ARRANGEMENT+ BEFORE THE FORMAT OF THE NEW BN(0) PASSPORT WAS SETTLED, HE SAID.
THIS IMMIGRATION DILEMMA, HE SAID, COULD AFFECT IN PARTICULAR ETHNIC MINORITIES IN HONG KONG WHO WERE NEITHER CHINESE NOR BRITISH, BUT VICTIMS STILL OF THE BDTC - BN(0) SYNDROME. +
+ IF NOT TO HONG KONG WHERE DO THEY BELONG AFTER GENERATIONS OF LIVING HERE?+ HE SAID.
MR CHEUNG LISTED +MANY GRAY AND WORRYING AREAS WHICH HE SAID THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES HAD TO CLARIFY IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS+:
.
* IT IS SAID THAT BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS WILL HAVE TO
CARRY THEIR HONG KONG SAR IDENTITY CARDS AS PROOF OF THEIR RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. BUT SINCE THE BN(0) WILL BE A UK-ISSUED DOCUMENT, AND THE HONG KONG
IDENTITY CARD NOT SO, WHAT PROVISIONS WILL BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT THIRD COUNTRIES WILL ACCEPT THE IDENTITY CARD IN ITS OWN RIGHT AS PROOF POSITIVE? AND WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY WILL IT BE TO ENSURE THAT THE BN(0) PASSPORT AND THE SAR IDENTITY CARD WILL BE ACCEPTED IN THIRD COUNTRIES AS COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTS?
* BDTC PASSPORTS ARE VALID FOR TEN YEARS UNLESS OTHERWISE
STATED. WHAT WILL BE THE VALIDITY OF THE BN(0) PASSPORT?
* WILL THE SAME RULES THAT APPLY NOW TO REGISTRATION
OVERSEAS OF BRITISH NATIONALS APPLY ALSO TO BN(0) S7
* IN CURRENT BDTC PASSPORTS, NOTE 7 ON DUAL NATIONALITY STATES THAT BRITISH NATIONALS WHO ARE ALSO NATIONALS OF ANOTHER COUNTRY CANNOT BE PROTECTED BY HER MAJESTY'S REPRESENTATIVES AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES OF THAT COUNTRY.+ THE NOTE FURTHER SPECIFIES IF UNDER THE LAW OF THAT COUNTRY THEY ARE LIABLE FOR ANY OBLIGATIONS (SUCH AS MILITARY SERVICE), THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BRITISH NATIONALS DOES NOT EXEMPT THEM FROM IT. IN ADDITION TO MILITARY SERVICE, TO WHAT OTHER +OBLIGATIONS+ MIGHT THIS REFER, AND WILL NOTE 7 APPLY TO BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS?
MR CHEUNG SAID THE UK, WITH ITS CHRONIC UNEMPLOYMENT, STRIKES AND SHAKY ECONOMY. NEED NEVER FEAR AN INFLUX OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, FOR WHOM PROSPERITY AND STABILITY WERE A WAY OF LIFE.
+HOWEVER, IT IS WORTH REMEMBERING THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO NOW FIND THE UK DOOR UNCEREMONIOUSLY SLAMMED IN THEIR FACES ARE THE VERY SAME PEOPLE WHO TOOK PLEDGES OF LOYALTY ON NATURAL ISATION, HE SAID.
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