TNAG-1386-FCO40-1834-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 239

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INF PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON. PEKING

HONG KONG AGREEMENT : NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL

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THE PRESS BRIEFING ON THE WHITE PAPER ON 17 OCTOBER WAS ATTENDED BY OVER FIFTY REPORTORO. INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES FROM OVERSEAS AGENCIES. FAR EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW. ASIAWEEK. INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUE. NCNA AND THE CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY. IT LASTED OVER ONE HOUR. THE QUESTIONS RAISED CENTRED ON THE FOLLOWING ISSUES: WORDING OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN BN(0) PASSPORT WHETHER B(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS NEED TO CARRY THEIR IDENTITY CARDS: ACCEPTABILITY OF BN(0) PASSPORT: ARRANGEMENTS FOR AVOIDING STATELESSNESS: GRANT OF RIGHT OF ABCDE IN THE UK TO THE INDIANS AND OTHER ETHNIC MINORITIES: AND GRANT OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP TO

UMELCO MEMBERS.

WORDING OF RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN BN(0) PASSPORT

2. BONAVIA OF THE FEER LED THE ATTACK BY QUESTIONING WHY THE

RICHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN EN(0) PASSPORTS HAD TO REFER TO THE HOLDER'S PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD AS EVIDENCE OF HIS RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT AS PRITAIN WOULD NOT HAVE SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG AFTER 1997, IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE UK GOVERNMENT TO STATE WHO HAD THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE HONG KONG SAR AFTER 1997. AS A PASSPORT WHICH DID NOT INDICATE THE HOLDER'S RIGHT OF ABODE MIGHT NOT SATISFY IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES OF THIRD COUNTRIES OF THE HOLDER'S RETURNABILITY TO HONG KONG. SECTION XIV OF ANNEX I TO THE JOINT DECLARATION PROVIDED FOR HOLDERS OF PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS OF

THE HONG KONG SAR TO HAVE THIS FACT STATED AS EVIDENCE OF THE HOLDERS' RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE HONG KONG SAR (THE RELEVANT PASSAGE IN SECTION XIV WAS READ OUT IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS FROM THE FLOOR). BONAVIA INSISTED THAT BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS WOULD HAVE TO CARRY THEIR IDENTITY CARDS WITH THEM WHEN TRAVELLING OVERSEAS.

AS IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS OF THIRD COUNTRIES WERE BOUND TO ASK TO

SEE THE PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS PEFERRED TO IN THE ENDORSEMENT. IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT REFERENCE TO THE BN(O) PASSPORT HOLDER'S PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. AS THE HOLDER WOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN HIS PASSPORT WILIOS HE HAD THE RIGHT OF ABOED IN HONG KONG AND QUALIFIED FOR THE ISSUE OF PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS. BONAVIA REMAINED UNCONVINCED AND COMMENTED THAT HE WAS ASHAMED TO BE BRITISH'.

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3. IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION FROM AN AMERICAN REPORTER ON WHAT LEGAL IMPEDIMENT IN DIPLOMATIC TERMS LED TO THE PROVISION IN THE JOINT DECLARATION FOR A ROUNDABOUT FORM OF RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT (REFERRING TO THE HOLDER'S PERMANENT IDENTITY

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