TNAG-2161-FCO40-3083-Hong-Kong-visa-abolition-agreements-1990 — Page 34

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AND TO PRIORITY PARIS, BONN, ATHENS, ROME, MADRID, HAMILTON INFO ROUTINE BRUSSELS, DUBLIN, LUXEMBOURG, THE HAGUE, LISBON INFO ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS

BERMUDA: VISA ABOLITION AGREEMENTS WITH EC MEMBER STATES 1. WHEN THE 1981 BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT CAME INTO FORCE IN JANUARY 1983, IT REPLACED THE STATUS OF QUOTE CITIZEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND COLONIES UNQUOTE WITH THAT OF QUOTE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY CITIZEN UNQUOTE. THE BERMUDA GOVERNMENT ASSUMED THAT A BDTC PASSPORT WOULD BE ACCEPTED BY THIRD COUNTRIES

ON THE SAME BASIS AS THE CUKC PASSPORT, AND THAT HOLDERS OF BERMUDA PASSPORTS WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE VISA-FREE ACCESS TO THOSE COUNTRIES WITH WHICH THE UK HAD RECIPROCAL VISA

AGREEMENTS. THE UK TOLD ITS VAA PARTNERS THAT IT INTENDED VAAS

TO BE INTERPRETED IN THAT WAY FOR ALL DTS (ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO

LEGAL OBLIGATION ON THEM TO DO SO).

2. HOWEVER, EC MEMBER GOVERNMENTS REACTED BY INTRODUCING VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR HOLDERS OF BDTC PASSPORTS. THIS CAUSED PARTICULAR INCONVENIENCE FOR BERMUDA, THE MOST SOPHISTICATED OF THE CARIBBEAN DTS, WHICH HAS BEEN SEEKING TO STRENGTHEN ITS POLITICAL, COMMERCIAL AND TOURISM TIES WITH WESTERN EUROPE. BERMUDIANS TRAVEL FREQUENTLY TO EUROPE. SIR G HOWE AGREED IN 1988 TO DELEGATE TO THE BERMUDA GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE,

BILATERAL VISA ABOLITION ARRANGEMENTS WITH EC MEMBER STATES. ΤΟ DATE, FIVE MEMBER EC STATES (BELGIUM, IRELAND, LUXEMBOURG, THE NETHERLANDS, AND, MOST RECENTLY, PORTUGAL) HAVE AGREED TO VISA-FREE ENTRY FOR BERMUDIAN BDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS. HOWEVER, DENMARK, FRANCE AND THE FRG HAVE ALL RECENTLY CONFIRMED THEIR VISA REQUIREMENTS, AND THERE SEEMS LITTLE PROSPECT OF MOVEMENT UNLESS WE TAKE A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN SUPPORT OF THEIR EFFORTS.

THE BERMUDA GOVERNMENT HAVE NOW SOUGHT OUR HELP.

3. IF BERMUDIANS APPROACH YOU GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD SUGGEST SUITABLE CONTACTS IN YOUR HOST GOVERNMENT, AND DO WHAT YOU CAN TO SMOOTH THEIR PATH. IN YOUR OWN CONTACTS WITH HOST GOVERNMENTS

YOU SHOULD MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:-

THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN APPROACHED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF BERMUDA ABOUT THE VISA REQUIREMENTS STILL IMPOSED BY SOME EC MEMBER GOVERNMENTS ON HOLDERS OF BDTC PASSPORTS. GOVERNMENT OF

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