MEETING OF POLITICAL DIRECTORS IN BRUSSELS 7 SEPTEMBER 1993
HONG KONG/SPAIN: INTRODUCTION OF RESTRICTIVE VISA PRACTICES
BACKGROUND
1.
Our Embassy in Madrid were informed in August that Spain had decided to suspend the arrangement now in force under which immigration authorities waived visas for tourist and business visitors coming to the country for less than 30 days. (These are British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTCs) and British National (Overseas) (BN (0)s). The Spanish told us that BDTCS and BN (0)s would be required to obtain visas in. advance of trips to Spain from 1 October. The Spanish gave as their reason the need to harmonise visa regimes within member countries of the Schengen Convention and suggested that Hong Kong was on a Schengen Common Visa List. They wanted to make public the arrangements immediately, but agreed to postpone a public announcement after representations in Madrid and Hong Kong.
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2. News of the planned Spanish visa regime has however leaked in Hong Kong and has been received with consternation. Members of the Legislative Council were quick to take the news as an indication that other countries would soon follow suit and that Hong Kong residents would find their freedom of movement severely curtailed. It is particularly unfortunate that the news has broken just as legislation was passed Hong Kong Nationality (Amendment) Order 1993- and a publicity campaign launched in Hong Kong to introduce a phased registration programme to give BDTCS in Hong Kong the opportunity to acquire a form of British nationality which will continue beyond 1997. There were already fears that the BN (0) passport was in some sense second class and the Spanish news - even though not, officially announced is being confused in the public mind with this exercise and with fears about travel outside Hong Kong in the future.
3.
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Ministers agreed that we should instruct EC posts to find out more about the intentions of Schengen member countries. It emerged that none of the 6 Schengen Convention members who now allow visa free access to BDTCs and BN (0)s have any intention of changing arrangements in the foreseeable future. The French (now holding the Schengen Presidency) confirmed that Hong Kong was not included on any Common Visa List. Given this background, HMA Madrid called on 1 September on Carbajal the Director General for Consular Affairs at the MF. A copy of his reporting telegram (Madrid telno 408) is
bgrnd.brussels.NAT
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