TNAG-1386-FCO40-1834-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 240

CARD AS EVIDENCE OF HIS RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG), IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT SECTION XIV OF THE JOINT DECLARATION PROVIDED THE

ANSWER TO THE WORDING OF A RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN BN(0)

PASSPORT CONSISTENT WITH POST-1937 SITUATION. IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS

WHY PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER COULD NOT BE DELAYED UNTIL

CHINESE AGREEMENT TO THE WORDING OF THE ENDORSEMENT HAS BEEN

SECURED AND WHETHER THERE WAS ANY SERIOUS PROBLEM HOLDING UP

CHINESE AGREEMENT, IT WAS EMPHASIZED THAT THERE WAS NO SERIOUS

PROBLEM AND THAT CHINESE AGREEMENT TO THE PRECISE WORDING HAD NOT

YET BEEN REACHED PUTRELY BECAUSE CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSED

WORDING AND RELATED ISSUES WOULD TAKE TIME.

ISSUE OF PERMANET IDENTITY CARDS

4. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS AS TO THE DATE OF ISSUE OF PERMANENT

IDENTITY CARDS, IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS WOULD

BE ISSUED AS FROM 1 JULY 1937 TO PEOPLE APPLYING FOR BN(0)

PASSPORTS. THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION CONFIRMED THAT HIS DEPARTMENT

WOULD BE ABLE TO ISSUE THE NEW CARDS IN 1987, ALTHOUGH THE PRECISE

SCHEDULE OF THE RE-ISSUE PROGRAMME HAD NOT YET BEEN FINALISED.

INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTABILITY OF EN(0) PASSPORT

5. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ON THE EVIDENCE AVAIALELE TO SHOW

THAT THIRD COUNTRIES WOULD ACCEPT EN(0) PASSPORTS, IT WAS

EXPLAINED THAT THE UK GOVERNMENT WOULD SOON START APPROACHING THIRD

COUNTRIES TO EXPLAIN THE NEW STATUS AND TO SEEK TO ENSURE THAT THE EXISTING ENTRY AGREEMENTS APPLYING TO HONG KONG BDTCS WOULD APPLY

TO ENCO)S. AFTER THE ENACTMENT OF THE ORDER IN COUNCIL. THE UK GOVERNMENTS EFFORTS WOULD BE SUPPLEMENTED IN HK BY BRIEFINGS OF CONSULAR OFFICIALS. IT WAS STRESSED THAT THERE WAS EVERY REASON

TO DE CONFIDENT ABOUT INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF BM(0)

PASSPORTS. AS A LOT OF COUNTRIES HAD INDICATED THEIR SUPPORT FOR

THE JOINT DECLARATION. AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HAD IN JULY

THIS YEAR PASSED A RESOLUTION CALLING ON THEIR MEMBER STATES TO

ABOLISH VISA REQUIRMENTS FOR DDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS. AS PM(0)

PASSPORT WOULD BE ISSUED BY A LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY AND WOULD

CLEARLY INDICATED THE HOLDER'S RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG.

THERE WAS NO REASON WHY THIRD COUNTRIES SHOULD DISCRIMINATE

AGAINST BK (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS.

6. IV CONNECTION WITH QUESTIONS RECARDING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS. ONE REPORTER ASKED FOR THE REQUIREMENT FOR ENTRY CERTIFICATE FOR BOTC PASSPORT HOLDERS VISITING THE UK TO BENITO

FYQSLV

OTTT

5. IN CONNECTION WITH QUESTIONS REGARDING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS. ONE REPORTER ASKED FOR THE REQUIREMENT FOR ENTRY CERTIFICATE FOR BDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS VISITING THE UK TO BE REMOVED. SHE ALSO COMPLAINED THAT HONG KONG SETC PASSPORT HOLDERS WERE SUBJECTED TO MORE QUESTIONING ON APRIVAL IN THE UK THAN IN FRANCE. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT ENTRY CERTIFICATE WAS AN OPTIONAL

RESTRICTED

/

FACILITY.

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