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GRS 1026
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 340
RECEIVED ALREDEDO 50, 51
29 JUL 1980
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
(88)
A.
FIT FCO 251130Z JUL 80
TO PRIORITY CERTAIN MISSIONS AND DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
GUIDANCE TELEGRAM NUMBER 81 OF 25 JULY 1980
WHITE PAPER ON NATIONALITY
1. A WHITE PAPER OUTLINING THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS FOR A
NEW NATIONALITY LAW WILL BE PUBLISHED ON 30 JULY. ADVANCE
PREPROOF COPIES HAVE BEEN SENT TO CERTAIN POSTS. THE HOME
SECRETARY'S STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE ON THE DAY OF PUBLICATION
WILL BE SENT TO YOU IN THE VERBATIM SERVICE WITH ANY SIGNIFICANT
SUPPLEMENTARIES. THE MAIN PROPOSALS ARE DESCRIBED IN PARAS
3, 4, 5 AND 6 BELOW.
LINE TO TAKE
2.
WE DO NOT WISH TO STIMULATE MEDIA INTEREST BUT IF QUESTIONED
YOU SHOULD DRAW ON PARAS 7, 8 AND 9 AND, IF PRESSED, 10 AND 11
BELOW AFTER PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER. SEPARATE INSTRUCTIONS
HAVE BEEN SENT TO HEADS OF CHANCERY IN COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES
AND HEADS OF CAREER CONSULAR POSTS/SECTIONS IN ALL COUNTRIES.
MAIN PROPOSALS
3. IT HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNISED THAT THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT
OF 1948 (WHICH PRESCRIBES A UNITARY FORM OF CITIZENSHIP
'CITIZENSHIP OF THE UK AND COLONIES
-
CUKC') IS NOW OUT OF DATE.
IT IS UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED IN THE UK THAT WE NEED A SEPARATE
CITIZENSHIP FOR THE UK WHICH WILL BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR
IMMIGRATION LAWS.
4.
THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSE THAT THIS WILL BE CALLED BRITISH
CITIZENSHIP. ON ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE NEW LAW THIS CITIZENSHIP
WILL BE ACQUIRED, GENERALLY SPEAKING, BY THOSE CUKCS WHO WERE BORN, ADOPTED, NATURALISED OR REGISTERED IN THE UK, OR WHOSE
PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS WERE SO BORN ETC. SO IT INCLUDES
/IMMIGRANTS
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CONFIDENTIAL