TNAG-1844-FCO40-2619-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 70

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TRANSCRIPT C BONG KONG SELECT COMMITTEE MEETING 22 HAR 89

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FOREICH SECRETARY (COFT) :

There are now about 60,000 people actually travelling on it

The Memorandum says without encountering any problems at all. that no country has said they would not accept the BIO passport.

in fact many countries have publicly welcomed it so there is a strong disposition to treat it as we would like to see it treated,

and I see no reason to fear that it would not be effective and

well respected after 1907.

JOPLING :

Sir Geoffrey, now if I might turn to the matter of the right

of abode, your Memorandum tells us that the lack of right of abode

to holders of these two forms of citizenship is not new and you

"most Hong Kung people accept the

You also say in your Memorandum:

"The

also say that in your view

reality of the situation".

Government do not, however, believe that it would be sensible or

acceptable to Parliament to give over 3 million people the

automatic right to enter this country, even if the majority had no

intention of exercising this right".

Sir Geoffrey, I wonder if you care to comment on that

situation, bearing in mind the point which has been put to us by a

number of people that Portugal has actually given the right of

abode to its nationals in Macau, just across the Pearl River?