TNAG-1405-FCO40-1880-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 201

Mr Partridge, NTD

Mr Cambridge, MVD

(Separate copies)

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 040/41 28

AMAR JOS

1

FILE

FROM: A C Galsworthy, HKD

i

DATE: 14 March 1985

Cc: Mr Burrows, Legal Advisers

Mr Grainger, Legal Advisers

HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS)

(BNO) PASSPORTS

the

1.

During the Parliamentary debates on Hong Kong which have taken

place over the last few months, Ministers have said that HMG will do

all that they can to ensure the international acceptability of

new BN (0) passports for which those, who 30 June 1997 are BDTCs

connection a

with Hong Kong, may

be

eligible.

by

virtue of

governments

on

of the

Ministers have also said that the time to approach overseas

in this context will be

between the passing

nationality Order in Council (probably in the second half of 1985) and the issuing of the new BN (0) passport (probably in 1987).

2.

to ensure

to

secure

could

I should be grateful for your views as to how we

best aim

third country recognition of the new BN(0) passports and

for holders of the BN (0)

the passports

other countries which BDTC passport holders currently enjoy.

3.

same

access

to

follow closely the arrangements

we

made

I imagine that we could to explain the new categories of nationality created by the BNA (81)

to

overseas governments.

I

think

that this entailed

asking our

overseas posts to transmit Third Person Notes explaining the changes sure that missions

to

host

governments

•

Concurrently

their

in London were au fait with these changes.

we made

4.

There

Agreements.

is

A s

also

the

question particular

of Visa

Abolition

our way to draw

I understand it, we have not previously gone the particular attention of governments with whom

out

of

we

CONFIDENTIAL