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the right of entry to the legitimate child from abroad when the mother was a British Overseas Citizen but the father was not. Third, there would probably have to be an arrangement to meet international obligations to grant citizenship (on certain conditions) to wives. Although these obligations would have to be taken into account they should not significantly weaken the general principles underlying the citizenship.
74.
It would also be necessary, because of the need to relate British Overseas Citizenship to the right of entry to a dependency, for the arrangements for naturalisation in the dependencies to remain much the same as at present, the applicant having to fulfil certain minimum require- ments of residence etc., but beyond that the grant of naturalisation being entirely at discretion.
THE STATUS OF THE IRISH
75.
In general, Irish citizens born before 1949 were also British subjects in our law until the Act of 1948 came into force. Since then, those Irish citizens have been eligible to claim, by means of written notice to the Home Secretary, to remain British subjects under a special provision of the Act. Within a new nationality scheme they could continue to be eligible to hold British passports. They and other Irish citizens settled in the United Kingdom would be eligible on the same terms as citizens of Commonwealth and foreign countries to apply for British Citizenship.
CONCLUSIONS
76.
The Government think that change on the general lines set out above would offer a more rational basis not only for citizenship but also for immigration control. In time, the complex distinctions that now govern the right of entry to the United Kingdom would disappear and citizenship would become the test. The people of the United Kingdom would enjoy a more meaningful status than at present, and the present inequalities between men and women in our nationality law would be removed.
77.
Overseas there are some different considerations to be taken into account. Those citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies and other persons eligible to hold British passports now alive who do not have ties with the United Kingdom or an existing dependency would, as British Overseas Citizens, continue to be eligible for British passports during their lifetimes (or until they took another citizenship voluntarily). But, because of the restrictions on acquiring this status after the scheme started, their numbers would not grow as at present.
78.
Those who have close ties with our remaining dependencies would hold a citizenship that properly reflected this relationship.
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