TNAG-1557-FCO40-2121-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 215

THAT CHINESE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS (BDTC) WILL BE

ALLOWED TO HOLD BOTH BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) (BN(0)) PASSPORTS

AND SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION PASSPORTS AFTER 1 JULY 1997 AND

THAT THE BN (0) PASSPORTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO STATE,

ALBEIT IN AN INDIRECT MANNER, THAT THEIR HOLDERS HAVE THE RIGHT OF

ABODE IN HONG KONG. BUT DOUBTS REMAIN WHETHER THE BN (0) PASSPORT

WILL BE OF ANY PRACTICAL USE. THESE DOUBTS WILL PERSIST UNTIL WE

SEE HMG TAKE ACTION TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW PASSPORT IS FULLY

ACCEPTABLE. THIS MUST INCLUDE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THIRD COUNTRIES TO

ENSURE THAT SOME 70 VISA ABOLITION AGREEMENTS NOW APPLYING TO THE

BDTC PASSPORT WILL ALSO APPLY TO THE BN(0) PASSPORT. EQUALLY

IMPORTANT, WE MUST BE CONVINCED THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF A SIXTH

TYPE OF BRITISH PASSPORT WILL NOT MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR HONG KONG

PEOPLE TO ENTER THE UNITED KINGDOM. THEY DO NOT ANY LONGER EXPECT

TO BE GIVEN A RIGHT OF ABODE. BUT THEY DO EXPECT TO HAVE AN

UNQUALIFIED RIGHT TO VISIT THE LAND OF WHICH THEY ARE NATIONALS,

AND NOT TO BE HARRASSED BY IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS WHO QUESTION THEIR CREDENTIALS AND ARE SUSPICIOUS OF THEIR MOTIVES. MEASURES SHOULD BE INTRODUCED TO ALLOW UNOBSTRUCTED AND UNTROUBLED ENTRY INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM BY BONA FIDE TRAVELLERS FROM HONG KING: THIS COULD BE ACHIEVED BY WORDS IN THE BN (0) PASSPORT STATING

THAT THE HOLDER HAS PERMISSION TO VISIT FOR THE DURATION OF THE

PASSPORT OR AT LEAST FOR A SPECIFIED PERIOD. THIS WOULD HELP TO MAKE THIRD COUNTRIES LESS WARY OF THOSE WHO TRAVEL ON THE NOVEL

PASSPORT.

THOSE WHO ARE NOT OF CHINESE DESCENT

THERE ARE IN HONG KONG SOME 8,000 BDTCS WHO BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE WILL NOT BECOME CHINESE NATIONALS IN 1997, TO PREVENT THEM, THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN FROM BECOMING STATELESS IN 1997 THE DRAFT ORDER PROPOSED THAT THEY SHOULD BECOME BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS (BOCS). THIS STATUS GIVES THEM NO RIGHT OF ABODE N BRITAIN OR ANYWHERE ELSE: THEIR RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG MUST DRIVE INSTEAD FROM THE LAWS OF A REGION WHICH WILL BE PART OF A COUNTRY WHOSE NATIONALITY LAW IS DRAWN UP ALONG RACIAL LINES. THESE PEOPLE INCLUDE ABOUT 6,000 INDIANS, 2,000 OR SO PORTUGUESE, PAKISTANIS, EURASHANS, AND PEOPLE OF OTHER RACES. MOST OF THEM WERE BORN HERE: MANY OF THEM HAVE GRANDPARENTS WHO WERE BORN HERE OR BROUGHT HERE BY BRITISH EMPLOYERS. THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HONG KONG'S WEALTH AND DIVERSITY AND THEY REGARD THEMSELVES AS LOYAL BRITISH SUBJECTS. THEY HAVE NO WISH TO MIGRATE TO BRITAIN OR ANYWHERE ELSE, BUT IF THEY ARE LEFT ONLY WITH THE CHOICE OF A CITIZENSHIP WHICH GIVES THEM NO HOME OR OF APPLYING FOR CHINESE NATIONALITY IN ORDER TO AVOID STATELESSNESS, MANY OF THEM WILL LEAVE HONG KONG WELL BEFORE 1997: THIS WILL BE HONG KONG'S LOSS AND BRITAIN'S SHAME. HMG MUST PREVENT THIS BY MAKING AVAILABLE TO THESE MINORITIES FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE

COUNCIL ARE CONVINCED THAT THE CHINESE MAJORITY IN HONG KONG WILL NOT BEGRUDGE THE ETHNIC MINORITIES' SPECIAL TREATMENT.

2

/FORMER