TNAG-1408-FCO40-1883-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 44

GRS 450

CONFIDENT HAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2750

TOP COPY

CONFIDENTIAL THEM 040/28

copied to NET

OF 06085OZ DECEMBER 85

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 9 DEC 1985

DESK OFFICE

INDEX

356

ISTRY

PA

Actr

Takeḥ

~

INFO PRIORITY CANBERRA,

PEKING

247

OUR TELNO 2427 : HONG KONG AGREEMENT BN(0) PASSPORTS : AUSTRALIA.

: ACCEPTABILITY OF

IN A FURTHER INFORMAL DISCUSSION WITH THE ACTING AUSTRALIAN THE COMMISSIONER AND THE ACTING FIPST SECRETARY (IMMIGRATION), AUSTRALIANS SOUGHT FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON THE FORMAT OF THE NEW BN(0) PASSPORT, WHETHER THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT AGREED IN PRINCIQLE BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS WOULD BE STAMPED OR PRINTED ON IT, THE VALIDITY PERIOD OF THE NEW PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS AND WHETHER SAR RESIDENTS COULD HOLD CONCURRENTLY A BN(0) AND A SAR PASSPORT. WE REPLIED FACTUALLY AND IN SOME DETAIL.

2. THE ACTING COMMISSIONER INDICATED THAT THE AGREED WORDING OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT SHOULD BE ADEQUATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF SATISFYING THEIR IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS OF THE HOLDER'S RETURNABILITY TO HONG KONG. THE ACTING FIRST SECPETARY (IMMIGRATION) ADDED THAT SOME AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS AT THE COUNTER MIGHT INITIALLY ASK TO SEE THE HOLDER'S PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD, OUT OF SHEER CURIOSITY. ONCE THE NEW BN(0) PASSPORT GOT UNDERWAY HE COULD NOT SEE ANY REASON WHY THEIR IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS WOULD AS A RULE DEMAND SIGHT OF THE HOLDER'S PEPMANENT CARD TO SATISFY THEMSELVES OF THE HOLDER'S RIGHT TO RETURN TO HONG KONG. THEY RE-ITERATED THAT THEY SAW NO PROBLEM WITH THE IR COUNTRY ACCEPTING THE NEW PASSPORT AND CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAD A POLITICAL INTEREST IN SUPPORTING THE NEW PASSPORT AS PART OF THEIR WIDER SUPPORT FOR THE JOINT DECLARATION.

CONFIDENTIAL