unwise to offer advice as to what decisions will be reached. No inference can be drawn from the Green Paper about future changes, if any, in civic privileges.
Paragraph 68
Query
Are we right in assuming that such persons would not in future gain the right of entry to Hong Kong simply because they become British overseas citizens?
Answer
The transitional arrangements suggested for British overseas citizenship cover the ČUKCs and BPPs you mention but do not extend to British subjects without citizenship.
expect those CUKCS who derive their present status from their connection with an existing dependency to have, as British overseas citizens, a right of entry to that dependency, but we would not expect other CUKCS to gain a right of entry solely because they become British overseas citizens.
Paragraph 71 to 74
Query (a)
Is it envisaged that dependencies would formulate their own rules for the acquisition/transmission of British overseas citizen status, or will the United Kingdom prescribe a common set of basic rules applicable to all?
Answer
This has not been carefully thought through but it is envisaged that the common set of rules for the acquisition and loss of British overseas citizenship would apply for all dependent territories. However, if the Hong Kong Government wished to put forward views on adjustments to the common rules outlined in the Green Paper, or to propose that provisions should be made for the permanent (as distinct from transitional) arrangements to be open to variation for individual territories, those views will be carefully studied. This does not mean that an alternative to the basic concept of a single scheme for all dependencies would meet with ready acceptance.
Query (b)
Would such cases fall to be dealt with as exceptions not withstanding that they would not have acquired a direct connection with Hong Kong by a period of residence?
/Answer
CONFIDENTIAL