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CP Scott Esq CMG OBE
Foreign & Commonwealth Office Curtis Green Building
SW 1
Year Peter
REVIEW OF CITIZENSHIP
Miss Cullis (NOT, Japa). (индоры). (Mr. J. Dumox.).
1 Copin to 20 May 1974
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Su d. Watson The Beats tire
The Kways (CH))
1. Further to our exchange of correspondence last week, I have been considering in a preliminary way what action might be taken to moderate the kind of overseas reaction which is envisaged by your letter of 15 May, based upon the comments of Governors, High Commissioners and Ambassadors. It may be that Ministers will not
in the end decide to have some kind of public review, and even if they do it will be primarily for the FCO to deal with the situation overseas; but I nevertheless thought that a few suggestions might come in helpful. Necessarily, they are made on a personal basis at this stage: I have no authority for them, and have not put them to. Home Office Ministers, whose sanction would be needed.
2.
UKPH; (b) people living in the Colonies; and (a) and (c) because
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The problem seems to me to concern 3 main categorica (a) the
the other British communities overseas. I distinguish between although their position in law is the same the points at issue are in substance quite different: the point that arises with regard to category (a) is whether or not they are to be granted a United Kingdom citizenship, with exemption from immigration control, when it is established; the point with regard to (c) is the quite different one of whether they should be able to perpetuate ci ti zen- ship overseas by registration with the consulate at birth.
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3. Taking category (a) first, the UKPH also divide into 3 categories (i) those living in East Africa; (ii) those living in India; and (iii) those living in Malaysia and Singapore.
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4. As regards the UKPH in East Africa, could we not say to the East African Governments in advance of any public statement about the review that, whatever changes in status might be made in legislation, the UKPH in East Africa would continue to be accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom under the special voucher scheme, on a scale to be determined from time to time by the Government of the day? And could we not also say that no person currently holding a United Kingdom passport would be deprived by the proposed legislation of the right to continue to hold such a passport; and that these passports would be renewed as they expired?
15.
SECRET N.nimes (er). Mr. Sane (vend')
Mr. Champion. Mh. Stuart
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