WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1987
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+THIS IS A PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENT WHICH SHOULD REASSURE NON-CHINESE NATIONALS OF THE IR CONTINUED ABILITY TO ENJOY THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG,
PROVISIONS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG BY LONG-TERM HONG KONG RESIDENTS, THAT IS, THOSE WHO HAD BEEN HERE CONTINUOUSLY FOR AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS, OTHER THAN THOSE WHO WOULD FALL WITHIN THE CATEGORY OF +HONG KONG PERMANENT RESIDENTS+ AS DEFINED WERE NOT CONTAINED IN THE PRESENT PROPOSALS.
THIS WAS BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO HOLD
A BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORT OR A CERTIFICATE OF IDENTITY.
EUT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE IR PRESENT RESIDENTIAL STATUS IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
MR JEAFFRESON SAID THAT WHEN THE LEGISLATION WAS EVENTUALLY BROUGHT INTO COMPLETE CONFORMITY WITH THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, THESE LONG-TERM RESIDENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG IF THEY SO WISHED BY THE SIGNING OF A SIMPLE DECLARATION.
+ALTHOUGH THIS ARRANGEMENT TO ACQUIRE THE RIGHT OF ABODE WILL ONLY BE EFFECTED BY FUTURE LEGISLATION, ITS BENEFITS ARE BOTH IMMEDIATE AND FAR-REACHING, HE SAID.
+ IT SHOULD HELP TO REASSURE OTHER COMMUNITIES IN HONG KONG THAT THEY HAVE A LONG TERM FUTURE HERE AND WILL BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IF THEY SO WISH.+
DEBATE ON THE MOTION WAS ADJOURNED.
NEW ID CARDS TO BE AR RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT
*****
THE MAIN OBJECT OF THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1987 WAS TO INTRODUCE A PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD STATING THE HOLDERS RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD WAS NEEDED TO ENABLE A RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT TO BE INCLUDED IN BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORTS AND CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY, HE ADDED, MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL.
/AT PRESENT,
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