CONFIDENTIAL
الله
177464 MDLIAN 8946
CONFIDENTIAL
FM OSLO
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 6
OF 09121OZ JANUARY 90
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG AND BTC HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE STOCKHOLM
INFO SAVING WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, CANBERRA, WELLINGTON, KUALA LUMPUR INFO SAVING BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, EC POSTS
YOUR TELNO 2364 TO WASHINGTON: HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
SUMMARY
1. NORWEGIANS HAVE ALREADY DECIDED NOT TO WAIVE RESIDENCE CRITERIA FOR HONG KONG EMPLOYEES IN NORWEGIAN FIRMS. THEY WILL RECONSIDER, BUT ARE UNLIKELY TO CHANGE THEIR MINDS.
DETAIL
2. AFTER DELAY CAUSED BY CONFUSION IN THE MFA AS TO WHO HANDLES THIS SUBJECT, DHM SAW HEAD OF THE SECOND POLITICAL DEPARTMENT ON 9 JANUARY. THE TEXT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S 20 DECEMBER STATEMENT HAD BEEN SENT BEFORE THE NEW YEAR.
3. SHORT SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED. MS LUND SAID HOWEVER THAT THE NORWEGIANS HAD ALREADY CONSIDERED AND REJECTED A PROPOSAL THAT CERTAIN HONG KONG EMPLOYEES OF NORWEGIAN COMPANIES SHOULD BE ALLOWED NORWEGIAN CITIZENSHIP WITHOUT FULFILLING THE NORMAL RESIDENCE QUALIFICATION. THIS PROPOSAL HAD BEEN MADE IN AUTUMN 1989 BY THE NORWEGIAN CONSUL GENERAL IN HONG KONG, AT THE BEHEST OF THE NORWEGIAN COMPANIES CONCERNED. THE DEPARTMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMMIGRATION
AND CITIZENSHIP HAD DECIDED IN NOVEMBER THAT THE NORMAL CRITERIA
SHOULD NOT (NOT) BE WAIVED.
4. SHORT POINTED OUT THAT THE SITUATION HAD MATERIALLY CHANGED SINCE THE NORWEGIAN DECISION IN NOVEMBER, IN THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD ANNOUNCED ITS OWN MEASURES IN DECEMBER. THE UK HAD, AS WAS APPROPIATE, TAKEN THE LEAD, AND WE NOW LOOKED TO OUR FRIENDS TO FOLLOW SUIT. IN THE LIGHT OF THE NEW SITUATION, WE HOPED THAT THE NORWEGIANS WOULD RECONSIDER.
5. MS LUND ACCEPTED THIS ARGUMENT AND UNDERTOOK TO ENSURE THAT THE QUESTION WAS RECONSIDERED. BUT NATURALLY SHE COULD MAKE NO COMMITMENT
COMMENT
6. ALTHOUGH THE MFA WILL DOUBTLESS BE AS GOOD AS THEIR WORD, WE JUDGE IT UNLIKELY THAT RECONSIDERATION WILL LEAD TO A DIFFERENT DECISION.
THE WHOLE COMPLEX OF IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS HAS BEEN POLITICALLY CONTROVERSIAL IN NORWAY FOR SOME YEARS, AND THE GOVERNMENT ARE UNDER STRONG PRESSURE, WITH WHICH THEY ARE FUNDAMENTALLY IN SYMPATHY, TO
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