CONFIDENTIAL
IMMEDIATE
who was unable to transmit BC status to his children born on or
after 1.7.97 would, if he had registered as a BN(0), be able to
transmit BOC status to such children in accordance with the terms
of Article 6(2) of the Hong Kong (BN) Order 1986 if those
children would otherwise be stateless. We consider that if the
holder of BN (0) status wishes to register and have some evidence
of that status we should not deny him/her that possibility.
Since we wish to avoid the proliferation of passports (holding
separate BC and BDTC/BN (0) passports as apposed to holding BDTC and BN (0) passports concurrently is not an option), the neatest arrangement is simply to incorporate BN (0) status into the BC
passport.
6. On the objections you raise in your para 6 to the procedure
of registering an eligible BC as a BN (0), we explored the possibility of having BDTC passports endorsed with BN(0) status.
We were persuaded against this course by Security Branch, on the
grounds that after 1997, the Chinese would not wish to passports showing BDTC status and because the concession agreed by the Home Secretary had been interpreted in Hong Kong as a
willingness to allow BDTCs to hold two passports (your telno
1028).
7. You suggest that the procedure we have laid down for
registering an eligible BC as a BN(0)
a BN (O) undermines the Phased
Registration Programme. We do not see how combining BC and BN (O)
status in one passport undermines the Phased Registration
Programme. We require all those who wish to become BN (0)s to
complete a form and pay a fee. We did consider procedure along
the lines proposed in your para 7 when we looked at the case
referred to us by HKID in February. We concluded that it would
be criticised for being excessively bureaucratic. A procedure
involving the production of a passport, issuing in it quote
momentarily unquote and then cancelling it would invite ridicule.
8.
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