TNAG-1383-FCO40-1831-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 133

GRS 290

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 110508Z JUL 85

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1409 OF 11 JULY

RECEIVI

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12 Diy A1985

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FOR GALSWORTHY FROM JEAFFRESON.

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OUR TELNO 1316 1 JULY: BN (0) PASSPORTS AND ENTRY CERTIFICATES.

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WE HAVE NOW PUT TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL A NEUTRAL MEMORANDUM

EXPLAINING BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT AND SEEKING ADVICE ON WHETHER

OR NOT HMG SHOULD BE ASKED NOT TO PROVIDE FOR ENTRY CERTIFICATES

FOR VISITORS HOLDING BN (0) PASSPORTS''. MEMBERS ADVISED THAT HMG

SHOULD BE ASKED NOT (NOT) SO TO PROVIDE.

2. IN THE DISCUSSIONS LEADING UP TO THIS ADVICE, MEMBERS SPOKE OUT VERY STRONGLY AGAINST ENTRY CERTIFICATES BEING AVAILABLE FOR HOLDERS OF HONG KONG PASSPORTS. BASICALLY, THEY FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE

NO NEED FOR ANY VISA-TYPE SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE OF BRITISH

NATIONALITY VISITING BRITAIN, EVEN ON AN OPTIONAL BASIS.

3. THEY COUNTERED THE POINT THAT ENTRY CERTIFICATES WERE IN EFFECT

A FACILITY FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH VERY

FLUENTLY AND WHO MIGHT EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY IN GETTING INTO THE

UK, BY POINTING TO THE FACT THAT A NUMBER OF EC COUNTRIES ALLOWED

HONG KONG PEOPLE IN WITHOUT VISAS AND WITHOUT APPARENT DIFFICULTY AT

IMMIGRATION CONTROL POINTS.

4. THEIR POSITIVE ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF NO (NO) PROVISION FOR ENTRY CERTIFICATES IN RESPECT OF 3N(0) PASSPORTS WERE TWO-FOLD. FIRST, THEY SAW THAT NO (NO) PROVISION TO THIS EFFECT WOULD GIVE BN(0) PASSPORTS AN ADVANTAGE, IN HONG KONG EYES, OVER BDTC PASSPORTS. SECOND, THEY SAW IT AS A SELLING POINT IN PERSUADING OTHER COUNTRIES NOT (NOT) TO IMPOSE A REQUIREMENT THAT HOLDERS OF BN (0) PASSPORTS MUST OBTAIN VISAS BEFORE VISITING THEIR COUNTRIES.

5. WE SHOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD NOW PURSUE THIS LINE WITH

THE HOME OFFICE, AS EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL UNDOUBTEDLY WISH TO KNOW

HOW MATTERS ARE PROGRESSING, I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD KEEP

UN INFORMED OF DEVELOPMENTS.

6. MEMBERS ALSO ADVISED IN FAVOUR OF MULTIPLE VISIT ENTRY

CERTIFICATES FOR HOLDERS OF BDTC PASSPORTS, AS BEING CONSISTENT WITH

THE INTRODUCTION OF MULTIPLE-ENTRY VISAS BY THE US. BUT IN ORDER NOT

(NOT) TO ERODE THE ADVANTAGES OF BH(0) PASSPORTS, THEY ADVISED THAT SUCH MULTIPLE ENTRY CERTIFICATES SHOULD BE VALID ONLY FOR THE

VALIDITY OF THE BDTC PASSPORTS IN WHICH THEY WERE ENTERED. WE ARE

SENDING YOU BY BAG A COPY OF A LETTER FROM THE US CONSULATE GENERAL

HERE EXPLAINING THE US INITIATIVE.

AKERS-JONES

LIMITE

нко

MVD

PSMR LUCE

SIPOS

SIR WHARDIN

Me Wilsono.

CONFIDENTIAL

Jr.