TNAG-2935-FCO40-4210-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1993 — Page 117

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Mrs Barnes Jones (HKD, WH 312)

Reference

340/393/2

NTN 340/393/2 (12

HKD 340/1

10JUI 1993

PHASED PROGRAMME FOR REGISTERING BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS (BDTCs) AS BRITISH NATIONALS (OVERSEAS) (BN(0)s)

193

1. I understand from John Woodrow that HKD are preparing a telegram on the phased programme for registering BDTCs as BN(0)s to be sent to all diplomatic posts as soon as the Hong Kong

(British Nationality) (Amendment) Order 1993 has been approved by both Houses of Parliament.

(115

2. Overseas publicity: It would be useful to inglude in this telegram the arrangements the Government of Hong Kong are making for overseas públicity. Miss Ho's letter of 25 May and my minute of 27 May to John Woodrow refer. In my minute I suggested that posts should be informed that publicity posters and leaflets are available from the Hong Kong Immigration Department with whom they should place their orders. It would also be helpful if the Government of Hong Kong could give us some indication of which overseas papers in which they intend to place advertisements.

3.

Special Circumstances and Appeal Procedure: The Government of Hong Kong will also need to be reminded that we shall need to be informed by 30 October 1993 at the latest what their criteria will be for accepting late applications in "special circumstances". It is clear from previous papers that there is a need for the HKID, our posts overseas and the UKPA to be consistent in considering such applications.

4. One of the papers received from Hong Kong which you faxed to this department concerns "proposals for an appeal panel". The terms of reference were:

"To advise the Governor on all late applications for BN (0) passports which the Director of Immigration has refused to accept."

I doubt that there is any intention on the part of ourselves or the UKPA to set up an appeals system of our own. It follows that applicants whose late applications are refused by one of our overseas posts or the UKPA must have access to any appeal panel that is being set up in Hong Kong. At the very least, the terms of reference should include after Director of Immigration Passport Offices in the United Kingdom and Passport Officers

#

at Posts Overseas".

5. Applications for Registration or Naturalisation: The new Article 3 of the 1993 Order amends Section 42 of the British Nationality Act 1981 so as to provide that a person seeking registration or naturalisation as a British Dependent Territory citizen by virtue of his having a connection with Hong Kong must make his application on or before 31 March 1996. As I told

CODE 18-77

NJM105J

/John