TNAG-2931-FCO40-4206-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1993 — Page 87

30 MAR '93 13:54 B4 LINO 051 255 1160

TO.

John Morris

Hong Kong Department

P.2/3

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

HONG KONG : CONCURRENT BDTC AND BN(0) PASSPORTS

I refer to the telegram from Hong Kong which you faxed to me on 9 October.

..

Sally Weston of our Legal Advisers Branch has already given you her view and expressed her concerns about the holding of the two passports as a matter of course. Other parts of the Home Office are also against the idea. The Passport Agency have drawn my attention to a Lords debate in 1986 on citizenship for Hong Kong ethnic minorities (see accompanying Hansard extract) in which it was said that the two passports would not be held simultaneously. The underlying reasons for this position are apparently as follows:

(a) to guard against abuse (too many passports in the system with the risk of forgery, loss and theft leading to the undermining of immigration control);

(b)

(c)

to ensure that BN (0)s do not get into trouble with foreign ports by offering two passports;

to avoid doing anything which might suggest to third countries that we have no

that we have no confidence in the BN(0) passport.

My colleagues in the Immigration Service share these concerns about the possible abuse of immigration control.

I understand that FCO has in the past had to take positive steps

Some:: to encourage Governments to accept the BN(0) passport. countries have dragged their feet either over acceptance of the new BN(0) passport or in dropping visa requirements which had not previously been applied to BDTCS. Others have even stated their intention of reviewing the acceptability of BN (0) passports nearer to 1997. A reversal of policy at this stage would therefore be likely to lead to renewed difficulties international acceptance.

over

For these reasons, the Home Office's view is that the present policy of requiring BN (0)s to surrender their BDTC passports should continue.

I am sending copies of this note to John Burgess (UKPA) and to Sally Weston.

CasKelly.

Kelly.

CJ KELLY

Nationality Division

Home office

22 October 1991