TNAG-1406-FCO40-1881-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 179

$10 -

RESTRICTED

-RI -i EMBASSY

rue du Fabourg Saint-Honoré

75365 Paris Cedex 08

DMM/HJ

RJ Miller Esq

MVD

Gvv FRAN|349/1

FCC

London

Cur ref: £349/1

19 April 1985

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(see 12vli

CONSULAR SECTION BRITISH EMBASSY

2 Cite du Retiro

75008 Paris

Tél.: 266.91.42

UK/FRANCE VISA ABOLITION AGREEMENT

1.

Thank you for your letter GVV FRAN 349/1 of 9 April: it is of some interim help to us to know that you regard the VAA as covering British Dependent Territories Citizens, while at the same time recognising that there are complications which, after you and the Home Office have completed certain work relating to them, need to be sorted out in discussion with the French authorities. If we receive a formal enquiry from the Ministry of External Relations on this subject, there should be no problem about referring to you for guidance.

2. I remain somewhat uneasy, however, in that the circum- stances in which French immigration or External Relations officials put enquiries to us or seek assurances usually mean we ought to try to respond within an hour or two, as the arriving passenger at the airport is held there pending our reply. If we are lucky the problem will arise early on a working day and we can ring you up. On the most recent occasion, however, the problem was put to us on Maundy Thursday afternoon: we could hardly tell the immigration officer that we would ring him back the following Tuesday. Fortunately, the immigration officer decided to admit the lady concerned (a BDTC member of a tourist group), after some hours delay and two conversations with us. The group had arrived via the UK, and the immigration officer's main concerns were the control endorsement on page 5 of the lady's passport, despite the passport having been issued after 1.1.1983, and his doubt as to whether she would be re- admitted to the UK without a visa. We explained that it was some time after 1.1.1983 that the endorsement "Holder has the right of abode in Hong Kong" began to be used for persons who have it, in place of "Holder is subject to control under the Immigration Act 1971". We also assured him that the lady,

They don't liave it.

Aj ise onk

Ise ank HKP for a copy of the French Concurs letter of 10 Pary 1985 to Durrector of Immigration RESTRICTED if they have one

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