I refer to the letter by Adrian Chau (South China Morning Post, December 18) saying it was not made clear that having a BN(O) passport meant retaining British nationality.
To ensure that all Hong Kong British dependent territories citizens who wish to continue to travel on British passports beyond 1997 receive BN(O) passports before July 1, the British parliament approved the Hong Kong (British Nationality) (Amendment) Order 1993 which imposes cut-off dates for BN(O) passport applications according to age groups.
The BN(O) Phased Registration Programme enables passport applications to be processed in an orderly manner.
To ensure that those eligible are aware of the arrangements and the cut-off dates, publicity campaigns have been launched in Hong Kong and overseas.
However, the publicity campaigns are not designed to address any nationality issues associated with the acquisition of BN(O) status. They are only there to pass on information about applications and to remind those eligible to observe the deadlines.
Nevertheless, the retention of British nationality through the possession or inclusion in a BN(O) passport has always been stated in the BN(O) passport application form ID 637, Notes for Guidance ID 637A and the booklet, A General Guide to BN(O) Passport.
