TNAG-1749-FCO40-2468-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1988 — Page 93

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065226 MDLIAN 1327

TO ENSURE THAT BN(O) PASSPORT HOLDERS ENJOYED THE SAME PRIVILEGES

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AS BDTC'S THEY URGED THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO CONSIDER WHETHER AN ENDORESEMENT SIMILAR TO THAT INCLUDED IN BNCO) PASSPORTS

THEY ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN BDTC PASSPORT. THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING ENTRY CERTIFICATES WHICH WERE MORE STRINGENT THAT THOSE FOR OBTAINING VISAS TO ENTER OTHER COUNTRIES. THE SERETARY OF STATE REFERRED TO THE VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN MOUNTED TO SECURE ACCEPTANCE OF

DIFFICULTIES THE BN (0) PASSPORT. THIS WOULD CONTINUE AND SPECIFIC WOULD BE RAISED WITH THE GOVERNMENTS CONCERNED. THE SUGGESTION OF AN ENDORSEMENT IN THE BDTC PASSPORT BUT HE THOUGHT THAT THE HOME OFFICE MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTIES WITH THIS.

HE WOULD TAKE UP

6. MEMBERS DREW ATTENTION TO INCIDENTS ON 9 APRIL AT HEATHROW AND ON 26 APRIL AT DOVER WHEN HONG KONG TRAVELLERS HAD BEEN REFUSED ENTRY TO THE UK AND HAS BEEN REQUIRED TO RETURN TO THEIR PORT OF EMBARCATION. THE ADVERSE PUBLICITY HAD ERODED

THEY SUGGESTED THE NEED TO CONFIDENCE IN BRITISH PASSPORTS. REMIND UK IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS OF THE NEED FOR COURTESY TO HONG KONG TRAVELLERS, THAT THOSE WHO ARE REFUSED ENTRY SHOULD BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN TO HONG KONG AND NOT COMPELLED TO RETURN TO THEIR PORT OF EMBARCATION, AND THAT IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES PASSPORTS SHOULD NOT BE ENDORSED THAT THE HOLDERS HAD BEEN REFUSED ENTRY. THE SECRETARY OF STATE ASSURED MEMBERS THAT THERE

HE WAS NO INTENTION TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST HONG KONG PEOPLE. EXPLAINED THAT ANY COUNTRY HAD TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM FOR SCREENING ARRIVING TRAVELLERS BUT CONCEDED THAT IMMIGRATION OFFICERS MIGHT SOMETIMES FALL BELOW STANDARDS OF PERFECTION. HE WAS NOT SURE WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THOSE REFUSED ENTRY TO BE RETURNED DIRECTLY TO HONG KONG RATHER THAN THEIR PORT OF EMBARCATION: BUT HE WOULD LOOK INTO THIS.

7. TIME DID NOT PERMIT ANY DISCUSSION AT LENGTH ON THE BASIC LAW: BUT MEMBERS REFERRED BRIEFLY TO CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROVISIONS WHICH WOULD ENABLE THE NPC TO ENACT LAWS APPLYING TO HONG KONG AND WHICH WOULD GIVE THE STATE COUNCIL THE RIGHT TO INTERPRET THE BASIC LAW.

8. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT THERE WERE MANY EXAMPLES OF

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