TNAG-1472-FCO40-2003-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 51

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Date:

Time:

Reporter:

PMO/9

has messed up things at Heathrow, quite frankly, has been the

very difficult traffic coming in from certain specified countries,

that's the reason why we have introduced the new visa requirement.

That will make it easier for the bona fida traveller because it

will reduce the pressures at Heathrow, it will mean that the many problems which at present have to be sorted out at Heathrow will be sorted out before the people leave, for instance, the Indian

sub-continent or West Africa. And so I think you will find that that also will help considerably travellers from Hong Kong and

indeed bona fide travellers from all other parts of the world.

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MR ?

While you were in Hong Kong did you see any

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members of the Indian community ?

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MINISTER: Yes

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MR ?

About their status.

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MINISTER:

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Of course, they

I mean, there

I met members of

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I did. I spoke to them. knew when I saw them that the policy was fixed.

could be no doubt in their minds about that.

the Indian community before the Hong Kong Nationality Order went through the House and, of course, they were very anxious that special provisions should be made for them. We explained to them why we didn't think that it was possible and eventually the Order went through the House without our being able to meet the requests which they made. And so I don't think that when I arrived here anybody really thought that we were going to tear up the Hong Kong Nationality Order and start all over again. But it was a great pleasure to meet them and reassure them, as I did when they were in London, that in the event and we all hope · and believe that that event will never happen, in the event of members of that community who didn't take out BNO status, and found themselves after 1997 not becoming citizens of China, not obtaining citizenship of China, in the event of their coming under pressure, then any British Government would feel that it had a moral

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