TNAG-1407-FCO40-1882-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 88

HIMLNAN 3383 CONFIDENTIAL

PP PEK

FM HOKON TO PEKIN

11053OZ NOV

GRS 350

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY PEKING

TELNO 1099

OF 11053OZ NOVEMBER 85

11/072074

280

HKD

NO DISTRIBUTION

THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT

ADVANCED

PARA 3 OF FCO TELNO 1636: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED : ACCEPTABILITY OF BN (0) PASSPORTS.

MY TELNO 2426-9, 2449-51 TO FCO WHICH CONTAIN RECORDS OF INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY AND SELECTED CONSUL-GENERALS/COMMISSIONERS ARE REPEATED TO YOU FOR INFORMATION.

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2429

OF 0704052 NOVEMBER 85

INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA

TIKK 040/28.

INCEN

11NG) 1989

TRY

PARA. 3 OF FCO TELNO 1636: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED : ACCEPTABILITY OF BN(0) PASSPORT: CANADA.

IN INFORMAL DISCUSSION WITH SECRETARY FOR SECURITY YESTERDAY, THE CANADIAN COMMISSIONER AND HIS TWO ASSISTANTS INDICATED THAT -

(A) THEIR

HEADQUARTERS' WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACCEPTABILITY OF

THE BN(0) PASSPORT BECAUSE UNDER REGULATION 14(3) (A) OF THEIR

IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS 1978 AS AMENDED BY THE ORDER IN COUNCIL

OF APRIL 1983 EVERY VISITOR TO CANADA WAS REQUIRED TO BE IN

POSSESSION OF 'A VALID AND SUBSISTING PASSPORT VALID FOR TRAVEL

TO CAMADA, ISSUED TO THAT VISITOR BY THE COUNTRY OF WHICH HE IS A CITIZEN OP NATIONAL AND RECOGNISED BY THE COUNTRY OF ISSUE AS GIVING THAT VISITOR THE RIGHT TO ENTER THE COUNTRY OF ISSUE'. THE BN(0) PASSPORT, WHETHER BEFORE OR AFTER 1997, MIGHT NOT BE AM ACCEPTABLE PASSPORT UNDER THIS REGULATION BECAUSE THE-HOLDER WOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO ENTER THE COUNTRY OF ISSUE, THE UNITED KINGDOM:

(B) AS FAR AS THEY WERE AWARE, THE PROBLEM WITH BOCS WAS PARTLY SOLVED BY THE ISSUE OF MINISTER'S PERMITS' FOR ENTRY INTO CANADA TO SOME BOCS. NO AMENDMENT TO THE 1983 ORDER IN COUNCIL HAD BEEN MADE TO ACCOMMODATE THE BOCS. ON BEING TOLD OF THE ANSWER GIVEN BY HMG TO A PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION IN NOVEMBER 1983 IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT'S REFUSAL TO GRANT ENTRY AS VISITORS TO BOCS, THEY UNDERTOOK TO RESEARCH THE APPARENT ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOMMODATION MADE IN 1983 AND TO SEE IF THE SAME ACCOMMODATION COULD APPLY TO BN (0)S:

(C) IF NECESSARY IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO AMEND THE 1983 ORDER IN COUNCIL TO ACCOMMODATE BN (0)S:

(D) IF THIS TECHNICAL PROBLEM COULD BE SOLVED IN REGARD TO BN(0)S, THEY SAW NO REASON WHY THE EXISTING VISA ABOLITION ARRANGEMENTS APPLYING TO HONG KONG BDTCS VISITING CANADA FOR NOT MORE THAN 90 DAYS SHOULD NOT APPLY TO BN (0)S.

2. THE CANADIAN COMMISSIONER AND HIS STAFF REPEATED THEIR INTEREST IN SECURING THEIR GOVERNMENT'S ACCEPTANCE OF BN (0) PASSPORTS. THEIR LINE IN REPLY TO PRESS ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE ACCEPTABILITY OF BN(0) PASSPORTS TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT, WILL BE THAT THEY HAD NO COMMENTS PENDING HMG'S FORMAL APPROACH TO THE IR GOVERNMENT.

YOUDE

YYYY

HMLNAN 3383

NNNN