TNAG-1406-FCO40-1881-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 152

CONFIDENTIAL

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(B) BE ELIGIBLE FOR BRITISH CONSULAR PROTECTION IN THIRD

D.

COUNTRIES:

STATELESSNESS

6. THERE IS NO QUESTION OF ANY BDTC BEING LEFT STATELESS AFTER

1997 AS A RESULT OF THE AGREEMENT AND RELATED MEMORANDA ON

NATIONALITY. THOSE CHINESE BDTCS WHO DO NOT ACQUIRE BN(0) STATUS

WILL BE CHINESE NATIONALS. IF ANY NON-CHINESE BDTCS DO NOT, FOR

STATUS AND. WOULD OTHERWISE BE

SOME REASON, ACQUIRE BN (0) STATELESS, AS FROM 1 JULY 1997 THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY BECOME

BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS (BOCS) ON THAT DATE. CHILDREN BORN ON

OR AFTER 1 JULY 1997 TO FORMER HONG KONG BDTCS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BECOME BOCS AT BIRTH IF THEY WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS. THE GRANDCHILDREN OF FORMER HONG KONG BDTCS WILL BE ENTITLED TO BE REGISTERED AS BOC IF THEY ARE BORN STATELESS AND MEET CERTAIN

OTHER CONDITIONS.

E.

CONCLUSION

7. WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO BE CONFIDENT THAT, AS HITHERTO, HONG KONG BDTCS WILL NOT CAUSE PROBLEMS TO COUNTRIES TO WHICH THEY TRAVEL. WE HAVE RECEIVED SOME INDICATIONS OF MEXICAN CONCERN ON

THIS POINT AND HOPE THAT THE INFORMATION WE HAVE NOW PROVIDED WILL SET THIS AT REST AND ENABLE VISAS FOR TRAVEL TO MEXICO TO BE

ISSUED TO HONG KONG BDTCS EXPEDITIOUSLY AND WITHOUT

DIFFICULTIES.

8=

FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION. IN THE LONGER TERM WE WILL BE CONSIDERING WITH MVD AND OTHERS CONCERNED HERE HOW WE MIGHT TRY TO SECURE MORE LIBERAL ARRANGEMENTS FROM THE MEXICANS FOR (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) ALL BDTCS WISHING TO ENTER MEXICO.

9.

WE SHALL SEPARATELY BE MOUNTING AN EXERCISE LATER THIS AUTUMN TO ACQUAINT ALL OVERSEAS GOVERNMENTS IN DETAIL WITH THE CONCEPT OF BN (0) STATUS AND, WITH THE AIM OF ENSURING THAT THE HOLDERS OF BN(0) PASSPORTS WHEN THESE ARE ISSUED (PROBABLY AS FROM 1 JULY 1987) WILL BE TREATED NO LESS FAVOURABLY THAN BDTCS ARE NOW TREATED BY IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES IN THIRD COUNTRIES.

YOUNG

DISTRIBUTION

MINIMAL

HKD

FED

MVD

NTD

MCAD

WIAD

CONFIDENTIAL