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non-Chinese origin with a form of British citizenship so circumscribed as to make it practically useless. There also been widespread sympathy for the claims by a small group of former servicemen who defended Hong Kong on Britain's behalf in the Second World War.
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Acceptability of the BN (0) Passport
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On the day of the debate we were assured by the Hong Kong Government that it is the intention of HMG and the Chinese Government that Chinese British Dependent Territories Citizens (BDTCS) 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 (O) 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 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
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
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 Kong: 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 ΟΙ at least for a specified period. This would help to make third countries less wary of those who travel on the novel passport.
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