TNAG-2970-FCO40-4249-Future-of-Hong-Kong-transfer-of-UK-related-records-from-Hong-1993 — Page 120

Reference

not

Canton

won't he Part of

district

не

more hoit

then thing

necessarily

CODE 18-77)

there are thought to be between 25-50,000 citizens who could claim protection. Numbers who might apply for visas in Hong Kong can only be estimated. There could be major movement between Hong Kong and Guang Dong; if applicants need to go to their nearest visa-issuing post, this will increase figures considerably; we have also been pressed to open a visa-issuing post in Canton - principally for student traffic to the UK. In future such students may go to Hong Kong instead of Peking.

Additionally, post 1997, when the majority of passport holders will become BN (O), i.e. subject to immigration control but not to a visa requirement, we may come under pressure from our EC partners to impose a visa regime, when it becomes understood that these passport holders will have returnability only to Hong Kong. (After 1.1.96 there will be qualified majority voting under the EC group.) This will be a continued requirement, since while children born to BN (0) passport holders can apply to register as BO (C) there is no automatic right to this, and those failing would become PRC citizens.

Applications have been invited to register as BN (0)s before March/April 1997. There are expected to be about 500,000 applications each year over the next four years. On the assumption that these would all be taken in Hong Kong there are large staffing implications, since the worldwide figure of passports issued is 270,000 - 300,000 passports each year. One possible solution, which would need more consideration, was for the Passport Agency to take on the responsibility and for all passports to be issued here.

Mr Rooney of NTCD is travelling to Hong Kong next month and will need to make a full investigation and recommendations on timing of transfer of records after his visit. The MRS team would also discuss further with Mr Morris whether it might be possible to provide some estimate of productivity of the HKID in issuing passports; on visas, the HKID do not follow Best Practice procedures, and the work is therefore unnecessarily

labour-intensive.

MOVEMENT OF STAFF/RECORDS TO CONSULATE

It was agreed that the concept of tying the moving-in date to the completion of the building was unnecessary. Movements could be staggered following discussions with the HKID. The building is scheduled to be ready at the beginning of July 1996; the entry clearance operation is set for April 1996; passport transfer in about March 1996 and UK based staff in the building from November 1996.

POINTS FOR ACTION

(a) MVD to provide for MRS a possible breakdown of Tier Timings and projected staff requirements; (DONE)

Page 120Page 121