TNAG-1407-FCO40-1882-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 112

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OCMIAN 3923

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OO BONNN

FM FCOLN TO BONNN

071630Z NOV

GRS

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FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE BONN

нин HKK 040128

RECEIVED IN REGISTR /

8 NOV 1985

DESK OFFICES INDEX

I REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

235

TELNO 591

OF 071630Z NOVEMBER 85

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, HKGO BRUSSELS

HKGO BRUSSELS (FOR JONES)

OUR TELNO 579 AND TODAY'S TELECON (LYSCOM/LEEKS):

ABOLITION FOR HONG KONG BDTCS VISITING FRG

1.

POSSIBLE VISA

FURTHER TO TUR AND RECENT WEST GERMAN PRESS REPORTS ABOUT

A PROPOSED NEW NATIONALITY STATUS FOR HONG KONG BDTCS, YOU ASKED

FOR BACKGROUND AND A DEFENSIVE LINE FOR USE IN RESPONSE TO ANY

QUERIES FROM AUSWAERTIGES AMT ON THESE PROPOSALS.

2.

1

BACKGROUND TO THE NEW NATIONALITY PROPOSALS IS AS

FOLLOWS: ON 17 OCTOBER HMG PUBLISHED AS A WHITE PAPER A DRAFT

ORDER IN COUNCIL ON THE NATIONALITY PROVISIONS OF THE HONG KONG

ACT 1985'. THIS PROVIDES FOR HONG KONG BDTCS TO ACQUIRE BETWEEN 1987 AND 1997 A NEW NATIONALITY STATUS (BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS)) WHICH WOULD REPLACE HK BDT CITIZENSHIP WITH EFFECT

FROM 1 JULY 1997. PARLIAMENT WILL DEBATE THE DRAFT ORDER THIS

DECEMBER AND AGAIN EARLY NEXT YEAR, AND SUBJECT TO THE ORDER BEING APPROVED WE SHALL THEN MOUNT AN EXERCISE TO ACQUAINT ALL

OVERSEAS GOVERNMENTS WITH THE NEW STATUS: AND TO SEEK TO ENSURE

THAT THE HOLDERS OF THE NEW PASSPORTS WILL BE TREATED BY OTHER

IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES NO LESS FAVOURABLY THAN HONG KONG BDTCS

ARE NOW.

3.

SUGGESTED DEFENSIVE LINE TO TAKE WITH FRG AUTHORITIES IS

1

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