TNAG-1383-FCO40-1831-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 276

GRS 350

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

.FM HONG KONG 010952Z JUL 85

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1316 OF 1 JULY

# KK040/4

REGISTRY

TOP COPY

DESK OFFER INDEX

PA

1985

FOR GALSWORTHY FROM JEAFFRESÓN

YOUR TELNO 857: BN(0) PASSPORTS AND ENTRY CERTIFICATES.

WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR AN AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT FROM THE

US CONSULATE-GENERAL ON THEIR PRESENT PRACTICE ON GRANTING NON-

EMPLOYMENT VISAS OF INDEFINITE VALIDITY TO HK 3DTCS.

2. MEANWHILE, ON 3 JULY WE WILL BE SEEKING EXECUTIVE COUNCIL'S

ADVICE ON DISPENSING WITH CERTIFICATES OF ENTRY FOR BN (0) PASSPORTS.

3. WE WILL EXPLAIN FULLY THE IMPLICATIONS. TO THIS END, COULD

YOU POSSIBLY ELABORATE ON YOUR POINT THAT, IF THE ENTRY CERTIFICATE SYSTEM WERE ABOLISHED FOR PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG, THE MOST LIKELY RESULT WOULD BE THAT IMMIGRATION OFFICERS WOULD BE EVEN MORE CAREFUL

IN CHECKING VISITORS FROM HONG KONG? OUR STATISTICS SHOW THAT IN

1983 WHILE 50,900 HK BDTCS WERE ADMITTED INTO THE UK, ONLY 15,588

ENTRY CERTIFICATES WERE ISSUED IN HONG KONG (INCLUDING SOME WHICH

WERE MULTIPLE AND SOME ISSUED TO COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS OTHER THAN

HK BDTCS AND SOME WHICH WERE NOT TAKEN UP). THUS THE BULK OF HK

BDTCS TRAVELLING TO THE UK ON THE FACE OF IT WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED

BY THE ABOLITION OF ENTRY CERTIFICATES. THE USERS OF ENTRY CERTIFI-

CATES TEND TO BE THOSE WHO DO NOT SPEAK FLUENT ENGLISH AND WHO

WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE DIFFICULTY IN SATISFYING IMMIGRATION OFFICERS

THAT THEY ARE BONA FIDE VISITORS. THEY WOULD BE AFFECTED. BUT

AS THEY ARE A READILY IDENTIFIABLE GROUP, THE FACT THAT THEY DID

NOT (NOT) HAVE ENTRY CERTIFICATES SHOULD NOT (NOT) CHANGE

IMMIGRATION OFFICERS' ATTITUDES TO THOSE WHO HAD NOT (NOT) BEEN

TRAVELLING WITH ENTRY CERTIFICATES.

4. IT IS NOT (NOT) CORRECT THAT IT IS SAID IN HONG KONG THAT IT

MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHETHER ONE HAS AN ENTRY CERTIFICATE OR NOT.

WE HAVE POINTED OUT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND PUBLICLY THE

ADVANTAGES OF HOLDING AN ENTRY CERTIFICATE, INCLUDING THAT A

TRAVELLER HOLDING ONE MAY BE REFUSED LEAVE TO ENTER ONLY IN LIMITED

CIRCUMSTANCES SET OUT IN RULE 13 OF THE IMMIGRATION RULES, AND THAT HE MAY NOT BE REMOVED UNTIL HIS APPEAL AGAINST REMOVAL HAS BEEN

DETERMINED.

YOUSE

LIMITED

HRD

MVD

PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

MR WILSON

CONFIDENTAL

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