CONFIDENTIAL
BRIEF NO 14: NATIONALITY AND IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS
HONG KONG BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS: ENTRY PROCEDURES
(THE LYDIA DUNN CASE)
LINE TO TAKE
Holders of Hong Kong BDTC and BN (0) passports are asked to go through the 'Others' channel at UK ports of entry because (unlike British citizens) they are subject to UK immigration
control.
Believe labelling of channels ("British citizens and EC
nationals" and "Others") is clear enough.
A BDTC or BN (0) who inadvertently joins the wrong queue
should be re-directed to the front of the "Others" queue. Immigration officers have standing instructions to that effect. They have recently been reminded of them.
BACKGROUND
Some months ago a minor furore was caused in the Hong Kong press by a British newspaper report that Miss Lydia Dunn, having joined the wrong immigration queue on entry to Britain, was re-directed to the back of the "Others" queue. She was reported (wrongly) to have complained to British Ministers: she had however raised the general issue on an earlier occasion.
It was explained to her then that it would not be practicable
to have in one channel British citizens, who are not subject to
immigration control, and BDTCs/BN (0)s who are. (Home Office Ministers feel this would cause disproportionate inconvenience
to the rest of the British travelling public.) Miss Dunn
reluctantly accepted this. She said she was embarrassed when the issue was subsequently revived by the press, but it has acquired a certain life of its own.
After the second incident immigration officers were reminded of standing instructions that BDTCS/BN (0) s who inadvertently join the wrong queue are re-directed to the front of the "Others"
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.