CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
TELNO 1057
OF 19063OZ OCTOBER 85
184
TOP COFY
INFO PRIORITY FCO, PEKING, HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO. NEHKY 2040/28
INFO PRIORITY BRUSSELS, HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA.
VED
23
11005
FOR HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OVERSEAS REPRESENTATIVES
ISSUE OF BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) (BN(0)) PASSPORTS.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ISSUS OF BN(0) PASSPORTS.
,
A STATEMENT ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ISSUE OF BN (O) PASSPORTS WAS ISSUED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986, 1.E. AT 4 P.M. (HK TIME) ON 17 OCTOBER 1935. THIS STATEMENT ANNOUNCED THAT BN(0) PASSPORTS WOULD BE ISSUED WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JULY 1987 TC ENABLE THE PRACTICE OF ISSUING BRITISH PASSPORTS WITH A TEN-YEAR VALIDITY PERIOD TO CONTINUE. BN(0) PASSPORTS WOULD BE ISSUED IN THE NAME OF THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY, AND THE FORMAT WOULD BE THE SAME AS THAT OF PASSPORTS ISSUED BY UK PASSPORT ISSUING POSTS TO OTHER BRITISH NATIONALS, 1.E. WITH UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND PASSPORT' ON THE COVER AND AN INVOCATION IN THE NAME OF THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY ON THE INSIDE COVER. THE FORMAT OF BN(O) PASSPORTS WILL CHANGE TO THE EUROPEAN COMUNITY COMMON FORMAT WHEN THE UK GOVERNMENT INTRODUCE THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COMMON FORMAT
PASSPORT AT A LATER STAGE. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL ALSO
CHANGE TO THE NEW FORMAT FOR BDTC PASSPORTS WHEN THE UK GOVERNMENT
INTRODUCE THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COMMON FORMAT PASSPORT.
2. BN(0) PASSPORTS WILL BE ENDORSED TO SHOW THAT THE HOLDER
POSSESSES A PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD AS EVIDENCE OF HIS RIGHT
OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. THE WORDING OF THIS ENDORSEMENT IS
BEING DISCUSSED WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
LIKELY ISSUES.
3. A LOT OF CONCERN HAS EARLIER THIS YEAR (WHEN THE HONG KONG
ACT WAS PASSING THROUGH PARLIAMENT) BEEN EXPRESSED ON WHETHER BN(0)
PASSPORTS WILL HAVE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENTS AND WHETHER BN(0)
PASSPORT HOLDERS NEED TO CARRY THEIR IDENTITY CARDS AS EVIDENCE
OF THEIR RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. IT WAS STRONGLY FELT THAT
THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF BN (0) PASSPORTS WOULD BE GREATLY DIMINISHED
IF BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS HAD TO CARRY THEIR IDENTITY CARDS TO
SATISFY IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES OF THIRD COUNTRIES OF THEIR
RETURNABILITY TO HONG KONG, THE HONG KONG PRESS HAVE BEEN PURSUING
THE QUESTION OF WHETHER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT
ON THE INCLUSION OF A RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN BN(O) PASSPORT
HAVE COMMENCED: AND WHETHER BN(0) PASSPORTS WILL HAVE RIGHT OF
ABODE ENDORSEMENTS TO REMOVE THE NEED FOR CARRYING IDENTITY CARDS
WHEN TRAVELLING OVERSEAS. THE ACCESSIBILITY OF BN(O) PASSPORT
HOLDERS IS PROVING TO BE THE MAIN THEME OF ANY PUBLIC DEBATE.
CONFIDENTIAL
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