CONFIDENTIAL
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A
PASSPORT HOLDERS CONNECTED WITH EAST AFRICA, AND THE GOVERNMENT'S
COMMITMENTS TO THE WIVES AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS
LAWFULLY SETTLED IN THE UK WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE NEW ACT.
Ŏ. THE BILL IS NOT EXPECTED TO HAVE ANY SUBSTANTIAL SHORT TERM
EFFECT ON THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ACCEPTED FOR SETTLEMENT IN THE UK.
BUT IT WILL ENABLE THE IMMIGRATION LAW TO BE BASED ON THE CONCEPT
OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP RATHER THAN PATRIALITY AND IN THE LONGER
TERM THERE WILL BE ONLY TWO CATEGORIES OF CITIZENSHIP, BRITISH CITIZEN AND CBDT, WITH ALL THE CITIZENS HAVING THE RIGHT OF ABODE
IN A BRITISH TERRITORY.
9.
HEADS OF CONSULAR SECTIONS AND HEADS OF CHANCERY IN
COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES WILL BE ABLE TO SUPPLY FURTHER DETAILS
OF THE NATIONALITY PROPOSALS AND INDICATE WHICH OF THEM HAVE
LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE.
UNATTRIBUTABLE (IF PRESSED)
10. WHY HAVE A BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZEN (BOC) CATEGORY?
THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO MAKE THEM BRITISH CITIZENS OR TO
DEPRIVE THEM OF ANY FORM OF BRITISH NATIONALITY. THE FORMER
WOULD MEAN A MASSIVE POTENTIAL AND UNNECESSARY IMMIGRATION
COMMITMENT. THE NUMBERS ARE ESTIMATED AT 1 1/2 MILLION, AND
MOST OF THEM HAVE ANOTHER CITIZENSHIP AND ARE SETTLED IN THE.
COUNTRY OF THAT CITIZENSHIP (MOSTLY IN MALAYSIA). EVEN THOSE WHO
HAVE NO OTHER CITIZENSHIP ARE ESTIMATED TO NUMBER ABOUT 200,000,
NOT COUNTING ANY NON-CUKC DEPENDANTS. NONE OF THEM HAVE HAD THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK SINCE THE 1960S. THE ALTERNATIVE OF
TAKING AWAY BRITISH NATIONALITY SEEMS EQUALLY EXTREME AND
UNNECESSARY. AS BOCS THEY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR PASSPORTS IN
THAT DESIGNATION AND THE USUAL CONSULAR PROTECTION OVERSEAS.
THIS CITIZENSHIP REPRESENTS IN ESSENCE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
UK HELD BY PEOPLE CONNECTED WITH COUNTRIES WHICH WERE ONCE PART
OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE OR WHOSE ANCESTRAL CONNECTIONS WITH THE
UK OR ITS PRESENT DEPENDENCIES ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO
QUALIFY THEM FOR ONE OF THE OTHER TWO CITIZENSHIPS. THE CATEGORY
WILL INCLUDE THIRD OR SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS BORN IN FOREIGN
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/COUNTRIES