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WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1987
MR CHEONG-LEEN NOTED THAT UNDER THE NEW LEGISLATION, ABOUT FIVE MILLION PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD BECOME +HONG KONG PERMANENT RESIDENTS+ TO BE ISSUED PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS AS EVIDENCE OF THEIR RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG.
HE SAID THE BILL SHOULD BE WELCOMED BY ALL THE FIVE MILLION PEOPLE CONCERNED.
HE WAS ALSO PLEASED TO NOTE THAT NON-CHINESE PERSONS WHO HAD ORDINARILY RESIDED IN HONG KONG BEFORE OR AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION FOR A CONTINUOUS PERIOD OF SEVEN YEARS OR MORE AND HAD TAKEN HONG KONG AS THE IR PLACE OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE WOULD EVENTUALLY BE GIVEN THE RIGHT OF ABODE BY SIGNING A SIMPLE DECLARATION TO THE EFFECT.
HE COMMENDED THIS AS A PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENT AND HOPED IT WOULD ENCOURAGE EXPATRIATES WHO HAD SETTLED IN HONG KONG TO CONTINUE RESIDING HERE PERMANENTLY AND MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIETY.
UK URGED TO ESTABLISH BN(0) STATUS
*****
LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR THE HON MARIA TAM TODAY (WEDNESDAY) CALLED ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH THE STATUS OF THE BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) (BNO) PASSPORTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THE SAME VALUE AS THE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZEN (BDTC) PASSPORTS.
MISS TAM WAS SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN SUPPORT OF THE IMMIGRATION (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1987 AND THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1987.
SHE NOTED THAT SINCE SEPTEMBER 1986
17 NATIONS HAD FORMALLY
INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT THE BN(O) PASSPORTS.
+THIS FIGURE STILL FALLS FAR SHORT OF OUR EXPECTATIONS, + SHE SAID.
SHE SAID THAT THERE WERE NATIONS WHICH MAINTAINED CLOSE TRADING RELATIONS WITH HONG KONG, AND THEIR PEOPLE HAD FAMILY LINKS WITH HONG KONG PEOPLE, BUT HAD NOT YET FORMALLY DECLARED THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT THE BN(0) PASSPORT. AMONG THESE NATIONS WERE MALAYSIA, THE PHILIPPINES, SOUTH KOREA, INDIA AND THAILAND.
SHE NOTED THAT AT PRESENT, HOLDERS OF BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES PASSPORTS COULD ENTER AT LEAST 69 NATIONS OR PLACES WITHOUT VISAS.
/TURNING TO
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