CONFIDENTIL
71827
1
(C)
(D)
(E)
DEPENDENT ON THE TRAVELLER'S PASSPORT CARRYING SOME EXPLICIT INDICATION THAT A VISA WAS NOT NEEDED FOR ENTRY
TO THE UK. WOULD LIKE TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT BN(0) PASSPORTS WILL CARRY AN ENDORSEMENT TO THIS EFFECT (SEE PARA 6 OF THE ANNEX TO LE BRETON'S LETTER OF 23 SEPTEMBER). THE ENDORSEMENT WILL STATE QUOTE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM IMMIGRATION RULES THE HOLDER OF THIS PASSPORT DOES NOT REQUIRE AN ENTRY CERTIFICATE OR VISA TO VISIT THE UNITED KINGDOM UNQUOTE. WE VERY MUCH HOPE THIS WILL MEET FRENCH CONCERNS ON THIS
POINT.
ALTHOUGH BDTC PASSPORTS DO NOT CARRY SUCH AN ENDORSEMENT IT IS IN FACT THE CASE THAT HOLDERS OF SUCH PASSPORTS DO NOT/NOT REQUIRE A VISIT VISA FOR ENTRY TO THE UK.
THE FRENCH SIDE ALSO INDICATED THAT ANOTHER CONDITION FOR VISA-FREE ENTRY TO FRANCE WAS THAT THE TRAVELLER SHOULD
BE RETURNABLE TO THE UK. THERE MAY BE SOME SLIGHT
MISUNDERSTANDING HERE OVER THE POSITION OF BRITISH
PASSPORT HOLDERS FROM HONG KONG. THEY ARE RETURNABLE TO
HONG KONG, NOT TO THE UK. THIS IS SO FOR BDTCS AND WILL BE SO FOR BN (0)S. IN BOTH TYPES OF PASSPORT THERE IS AN
ENDORSEMENT CONFIRMING THE HOLDERS RIGHT OF ABODE IN (AND HENCE RETURNABILITY TO) HONG KONG (SEE PARA 10 OF THE ANNEX TO LE BRETON'S LETTER OF 23 SEPTEMBER). A TRAVELLER USING AN EARLIER TYPE OF HONG KONG BRITISH PASSPORT, FOR EXAMPLE DESCRIBING HIM AS A CUKC, IS ALSO
OF COURSE RETURNABLE TO HONG KONG. WE WOULD HOPE THAT
THIS GUARANTEED RETURNABILITY, ALBEIT NOT TO THE UK,
WOULD MEET FRENCH CONCERN ON THIS POINT.
WE NOTED AND WERE MOST GRATEFUL FOR THE STATEMENT THAT HONG KONG BDTCS MAY CONTINUE TO BE ADMITTED TO FRANCE WITHOUT VISAS. THE IMPLICATION, HOWEVER, WAS THAT THIS WAS ON THE CONDITION THAT THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES COULD BE SATISFIED FROM TRAVELLERS' PASSPORTS THAT THEY DID NOT REQUIRE A VISA TO BE ADMITTED TO THE UK. AS JUST EXPLAINED, THIS IS NOT EXPLICITLY APPARENT FROM A BDTC
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