TNAG-1609-FCO40-22131-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 168

BN (0) Passport

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My hon. Friends Mr. Peter C WONG and Mrs. Selina CHOW

referred to the fact that more people are applying for the

British Dependent Territory Passport than the British National

(Overseas) Passport and asked what the British and Hong Kong

Governments plan to do to ensure that third countries'

immigration officers are familiar with the new passport.

C

XX

I would like to take this opportunity to repeat that

the British Government, British missions overseas and the Hong

Kong Government have done a great deal to explain the new

And

passport to third countries. Since May, specimen passports

have been handed over to the governments of third countries,

both in Hong Kong and in their capitals. The new passport

should by now be a British travel document well known to

immigration staff. To date, more than 14,500 BN(0) passports

have been applied for. We have no reason whatsoever to

believe that BN (O) passport holders have in practice

encountered any difficulties in their travels.

continue to monitor the situation very closely.

British and the Hong Kong Governments will react immediately

if any problems do arise.

But we will

Both the

To facilitate the reporting of any problems

travellers encounter with the BN (0) passport and to answer any

enquiries on the new passport, the Immigration Department is

in the process of setting up a 'hot line'. We shall publicise

the telephone number as soon as the line is in operation.

should

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