TNAG-2949-FCO40-4226-Hong-Kong-visa-policy-with-other-countries-1993 — Page 66

HKD 345/2

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A I DE MEMOIR E

2 7 JAN 1993

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1. With Legislative Decree 663 and its corresponding regulations, the Peruvian Government has carried into effect "Programme of Migration-Investment" designed to promote immigration of foreign citizens prepared to furnish funds and/or make investments in the country. Copy of the aforementioned Legislative Decree 663 was forwarded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with a Note from the Embassy of Peru in Great Britain No. 5-17-F/071, dated 28th October 1991.

2. The legal measures that regulate the implementation of this "Programme Migration-Investment" provides the granting of a special Peruvian passport and a qualified non-immigrant visa to foreign citizens who would have recourse to it. On 8th December, examples of these passports were sent for the information of the immigration authorities and for them to implement the treatment that corresponds to travel documents granted by the appropriate Peruvian authority.

3. The British authorities of Hong Kong have been duly informed since 1991 of the contents and the extent of this programme, that does not include naturalization, and expressed no objection whatsoever. Nevertheless, now that the issuing of these passports has begun, they do not recognise their validity and do not grant them the treatment that corresponds to Peruvian travel documents, passports, with regard to the nationality of the holders.

4. The attitude of the British authorities in Hong Kong presents a serious obstacle that endangers the expectations of this programme, the design of which has involved considerable effort and investment and to which the Peruvian Government -due to its current social and economic situation- gives its highest priority.

5. Considering the explanation above, the good offices of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are requested, for the British authorities in Hong Kong to make their position more flexible, since it is inappropriate to pretend not to recognise at this late stage the validity of a programme, the contents and extent of which were informed in detail well in advance.

London, 26th January, 1993