GRS 350
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO POUTINE FCO
TELNO 3460
OF 200935Z OCTOBER 86
INFO ROUTINE OTTAWA
CONFIDENTIAL
NATIONALITY : INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF DN(0) PASSPORTS
AT OUR REQUEST, ACTING COMMISSIONER OF CANADA (LUKIE) CALLED ON SECRETARY FOR SECURITY ON 17 OCTOBER FOR US TO RESPOND TO ANY POINTS HE MIGHT HAVE ON THE NOTE WE HAD SENT HIM ON THE BN (0) PASSPORT. DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION WAS ALSO PRESENT.
2. DISCUSSION CENTRED ON THE CANADIAN LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT TO BE RECOGNISED BY THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT TRAVEL DOCUMENTS SHOULD CONTAIN THE GUARANTEED RETURNABILITY OF THEIR HOLDERS TO THE COUNTRY OF ISSUE. LUKIE WAS NO PROBLEM BEFORE 1997. BUT HE REAFFIRMED THAT AS THE SAR GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT BE THE ISSUING AUTHORITY FOR BN (0) PASSPORTS, THERE WOULD BE A PROBLEM AFTER 1997. TO ATTEMPT TO MEET THE PROBLEM BY TRYING TO CHANGE THE EXISTING REQUIREMENTS IN THE CANADIAN IMMIGRATION LAW WOULD BE COMPLICATED AND TIME-CONSUMING. IT MIGHT ALSO FAIL.
3. WE CONCLUDED THAT THE ONLY SOLUTION WOULD SEEM TO BE A TWO TIER SYSTEM WHEREBY HMG WOULD AGREE WITH THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT TO TAKE BACK BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS FROM CANADA. HMG WOULD THEN HAVE A SEPARATE ARRANGEMENT WITH THE SARG FOR RETURNING SUCH TRAVELLERS TO HONG KONG. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THIS POSSIBILITY. WE SUSPECT THAT LUKIE WILL BE FLOATING IT WITH HIS GOVERNMENT. HE FULLY ACCEPTED THAT FOR HIS GOVERNMENT NOT TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THE BN(0) FASSPORT AFTER 1997 WOULD BE A SEVERE BLOW AS FAR AS WE WERE CONCERNED.
4. WE ALSO DISCUSSED AT SOME LENGTH TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE NEW PASSPORT (E.G. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BN (0) AND BOC PASSPORTS, THE FORMAT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRITISH PASSPORTS, TRANSMISSIBILITY OF BOC).
THE
5. ON VISA ABOLITION LUKIE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HIS GOVERNMENT COULD
CONFIDENTIAL
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