TNAG-1407-FCO40-1882-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 213

CONFIDENTIAL

(C) THE JOINT DECLARATION PROVIDES FOR ALL NON-CHINESE NATIONALS WHO HAVE ORDINARILY RESIDED IN HONG KONG FOR 7 YEARS OR MORE AND HAVE TAKEN HONG KONG AS THE IP PLACE OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE: OR WHO HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE ONLY IN HONG KONG BEFORE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HONG KONG SAR, TO HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE HONG KONG SAR. THUS. THEY WOULD NOT BE LEFT WITHOUT A PLACE TO CALL THEIR

HOME :

(C) AS BNYO)S THEY WILL HAVE BROADLY THE SAME BENEFITS AS BDTCS: RIGHT TO HOLD BRITISH PASSPORTS: CONSULAR PROTECTION BY BRITISH POSTS IN HONG KONG AND IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES: AND ELIGIBILITY TO

REGISTER AS BCS: AND

(E) HONG KONG BDTCS DO NOT NOW HAVE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK. THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR GRANTING RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK AFTER 1997 TO PERSONS WHO DO NOT AT PRESENT HAVE IT.

LIKELY LOCAL REACTION.

9. THE NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL HAS AROUSED WIDESPREAD MEDIA INTEREST. IT IS LIKELY TO BE SCRUTINISED CAREFULLY BY THE PRESS. LAWYERS AND POLITICAL COMMENTATORS. THERE WOULD BE RENEWED CRITICISMS- OF UKG'S APPARENT ABDICATION OF RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS HONG KONG BDTCS BY NOT PROVIDING FOR BN(0) STATUS TO BE TRANSMISSIBLE AFTER 1997. BUT THE AVERAGE MEN IN THE STREET ARE LIKELY TO ACCEPT THE PROPOSALS IN THE DRAFT ORDER AS A FAIT ACCOMPLI STEMMING FROM THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION. FOR THE WIDER PUBLIC. THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ARE THEIR CONTINUED FREEDOM OF TRAVEL: WHETHER BN (0) PASSPORTS WILL BE AS WIDELY ACCEPTABLE AS BDTC PASSPORTS: WHETHER THEY WILL HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENTS AND WHETHER THEY NEED TO CARRY THEIR IDENTITY CARDS WITH THEM WHEN TRAVELLING OVERSEAS.

YOUDE

MINIMAL

HKD

COPIES TO.

HKGO - LONDON

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CONFIDENTIAL