TNAG-1382-FCO40-1830-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 236

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66336 ESBGS HX

RESTA ED

TELEX NO. 18

HUCC04017

TO COLVYN HAYE, HKGO, LONDON&FEB 1925

FROM : P.B. WILLIAMS, $(GD)

MY TELEXES NOS. 15 AND 17 ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE PROPOSED TITLE OF BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS)

THE FULL TEXTS OF THE FOUR UNOFFICIALS' SPEECHES AND THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S REPLY HAVE BEEN SENT TO YOU BY FACSIMILE SEPARATELY. FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE POINTS MADE BY THE UNOFFICIALS:

2.

MEMBERS ACCEPTED THAT THE HONG KONG BILL WAS PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION AND WERE GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE BROAD PRINCIPLES OF THE NATIONALITY PROVISIONS IN THE HONG KONG BILL, INCLUDING THE TITLE BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS)'. THEY, HOWEVER, EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE CONTENT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROPOSED PASSPORT. IN PARTICULAR, THEY SOUGHT ASSURANCES THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE SHOULD BE DONE BY HMG TO ENSURE THAT THE FUTURE BN(0) PASSPORT WOULD BE ACCEPTED BY THE IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES OF THIRD COUNTRIES, TO AN EXTENT WHICH WOULD PROVIDE HOLDERS WITH THE SAME DEGREE OF FREEDOM OF ENTRY AS THEY ENJOYED AT PRESENT. THEY WERE ALSO KEEN TO SEE THE FUTURE BN(0) PASSPORT CLEARLY STATING THAT ITS HOLDER HAD THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. THIS WAS TO AVOID THE NEED TO PRESENT THEIR SAR IDENTITY CARDS DURING IMMIGRATION CLERARANCE.

3.

CERTAIN POINTS OF DETAIL IN CONNECTION WITH THE FUTURE BN(0) PASSPORTS WERE ALSO RAISED. THESE WERE:

4.

(A) THE TIMING OF THEIR ISSUE (B) THEIR PERIOD OF VALIDITY

(C) WHETHER ENTRY CERTIFICATES FOR THE UK WOULD BE

REQUIRED (WITH THE SUGGESTION THAT, TO SET AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER COUNTRIES, THE UK SHOULD ALLOW HONG KONG BDTCS, AND FUTURE BN(0)S. TO ENTER THE UK FOR VISITS WITHOUT ENTRY CERTIFICATES)

(D) RULES REGARDING REGISTRATION OVERSEAS OF BN(0)

PASSPORT HOLDERS (SEMI COLON) AND

(E) HMG'S POSITION IN DEALING WITH BN(0) PASSPORT

HOLDERS WHO ARE CHINESE NATIONALS.

MEMBERS ALSO SOUGHT CLARIFICATION REGARDING THE TREATMENT

CONCERN THAT WOULD BE ACCORDED TO ETHNIC MINORITIES IN HONG KONG. WAS EXPRESSED IN PARTICULAR ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF POSSIBLE STATELESSNESS AMONG THE SECOND GENERATION BORN AFTER 1997 TO NON-CHINESE FORMER BDTCS.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID IN HIS REPLY THAT HE FULLY APPRECIATED THAT FREEDOM OF TRAVEL WAS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT FOR HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND THAT HMG HAD UNDERTAKEN PUBLICLY AND REPEATEDLY TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO EXPLAIN THE ARRANGEMENTS REGARDING THE ISSUE AND USE OF BN(0) PASSPORTS TO THIRD COUNTRIES. RE KEY ATTENTION TO SECTION XIV OF ANNEX I TO THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION, WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE HOLDING OF PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS TO BE STATED IN THE FUTURE 6N(0) PASSPORTS AS EVIDENCE OF RIGHT OF ABODE, AND SAID THAT HMG WOULD BE DISCUSSING WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES THE WORDING OF THE STATEMENT WITH A VIEW TO ENSURING THAT EN(U) PASSPORT HOLDERS WOULD NOT HAVE TO PRODUCE THEIR IDENTITY CARDS FOR IMMIGRATION CLEARANCE.