TNAG-1407-FCO40-1882-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 140

CONFIDENTIAL

Hong Kong that he intended to submit his proposal to Bonn in late

October: he suggested HMG might make a parallel political approach

We have instructed Bonn to make a démarche

in early November.

around 7 November.

5.

Separately, HMG published last month 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 a new nationality status (British National (Overseas)) to 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. While the FRG will be aware of the provisions in the draft order, this is a separate exercise dependent upon Parliamentary approval and unrelated to the current restrictions

imposed upon HKBDTC s.

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CONFIDENTIAL