TNAG-1407-FCO40-1882-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 218

4. OTHER QUESTIONS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE RAISED ARE-

(A) WHAT STEPS WILL THE UK GOVERNMENT TAKE TO ENSURE THAT BN(0) PASSPORTS ARE INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTABLE?

(B) WILL CONFUSION BE CAUSED TO THIRD COUNTRIES BY THE INTRODUCTION OF AN ADDITIONAL TYPE OF BRITISH PASSPORT,

PASSPORT?

BN(0)

(C) AS THE FORMAT OF BN (0) PASSPORT WILL CHANGE WHEN THE UK GOVERNMENT INTRODUCE THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COMMON FORMAT PASSPORT AT A LATER DATE, WILL THIS NOT CAUSE A LOT OF CONFUSION TO IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES OF THIRD COUNTRIES?

(D) IF THE FORMAT OF HONG KONG BDTC PASSPORT WILL ALSO CHANGE WHEN THE UK GOVERNMENT INTRODUCE THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COMMON FORMAT PASSPORT, WILL THIS NOT ADD TO THE CONFUSION FACED BY IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES OF THIRD COUNTRIES?

LINE TO TAKE

NEED TO CARRY IDENTITY CARDS

5N(0) PASSPORTS WILL BE ENDORSED TO SHOW THAT THE HOLDER POSSESSES A HONG KONG PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD AS EVIDENCE OF HIS RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. AS A BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDER WILL NOT HAVE SUCH AN ENDORSEMENT UNLESS HE HAS THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG, IT WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY FOR THE PASSPORT HOLDER TO CARRY HIS PERMANENT IDENTITY TO SATISFY IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES OF THIRD COUNTRIES OF HIS RETURNABILITY TO HONG KONG.

ACCEPTABILITY OF EN(0) PASSPORT

THERE ARE GOOD REASONS FOR BEING CONFIDENT ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTABILITY OF BN (0) PASSPORTS. BN (0) STATUS CARRIES BROADLY THE SAME BENEFITS AS BDTC STATUS, EXCEPT THAT IT IS NOT TRANSMISSIBLE.

THE CHANGE FROM BDTC PASSPOR TO BN(0) PASSPORT IS ESSENTIALLY A CHANGE IN NOMENCLAUTRE: BN (0) PASSPORT WILL BE ISSUED BY A LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY AND WILL INDICATE CLEARLY THE HOLDER'S RETURNABILITY TO HONG KONG. THESE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS TO IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS OF THIRD COUNTRIES. IT IS IMMATERIAL TO THEM WHETHER THE CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN OF BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS WILL HAVE BRITISH NATIONALITY. FURTHERMORE MANY COUNTRIES HAVE INDICATED THEIR STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE JOINT DECLARATION THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HAS IN JULY THIS YEAR PASSED RESOLUTIONS ENCOURAGING THEIR MEMBER STATES TO APOLISH VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR 5DTC PASSPORT HOLDERS VISITING THEIR COUNTRIES.

YOUDE

MINIMAL

HKD

NTD

CONFIDENTIAL

COPIES TO.

HEGO - CONDON.