TNAG-1561-FCO40-2125-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 118

GRS 450

CONFIDENT-BAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 11113OZ FCO

TELNO 744

OF 110925Z MARCH 86

CONFIDENTIAL

PERSONAL FOR LAYDEN FROM GOVERNOR

YOUR TELNO 439 : NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL

1. IN CONSULTED EXECUTIVE COUNCIL THIS MORNING, PUTTING TO THEM THE ARGUMENTS IN TUR. THEIR RESPONSE WAS, TO SAY THE LEAST OF IT, COOL.

2. THEY RECOGNISED THAT THE ENDORSEMENT AS PROPOSED WOULD PROBABLY

SATISFY THIRD COUNTRIES THAT THE HOLDER OF THE PASSPORT DID NOT

REQUIRED A VISA TO VISIT THE UK AND WOULD THUS BE OF SOME HELP IN

THAT REGARD. BUT MEMBERS HAD SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THE ACCEPTABILITY

IN HONG KONG OF THE QUALIFYING PHRASE "IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE

CURRENT IMMIGRATION RULES'' WHICH THEY THOUGHT WOULD LEAD TO

SUSPICION OF HMG'S INTENTIONS AS REGARDS THE FUTURE. THEY WERE

UNCONVINCED BY THE ARGUMENT THAT THE QUALIFYING PHRASE WAS

NECESSARY TO AVOND BINDING A SUCCESSOR GOVERNMENT. THEY REFERRED

TO THE FACT THAT ENDORSEMENTS SUCH AS CUKC, APPARENTLY VALID FOR THE LIFE OF THE PASSPORT, HAD NOT PREVENTED HMG FROM MODIFYING

BY LEGISLATION BOTH THE STATUS AND THE ATTENDANT IMMIGRATION

RIGHTS BEFORE THE VALIDITY OF THE PASSPORTS HAD EXPIRED.

SOME MEMBERS THOUGHT THAT SOME LEGCO MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC

MIGHT PREFER NOTHING TO A QUALIFIED ENDORSEMENT WHICH WOULD AROUSE SUSPICION THAT A CHANGE IN THE IMMIGRATION RULES WOULD BE MADE,

OR MIGHT EVEN BE IMMINENT. OTHER MEMBERS WERE LESS SURE THAT THE

REACTION WOULD BE ADVERSE TO THAT DEGREE. BUT ALL MEMBERS AGREED

THAT THE PRICE IN TERMS OF ACCEPTABILITY OF THE LEGAL CAUTION

EMBODIED IN THE FIRST CLAUSE COULD BE HIGH.

CONFIDENTIAL

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