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NATIONALITY BILL:
Reasons for Bill
1.
ESSENTIAL FACTS
UK Links with Hong Kong
Reaction in Hong Kong to the publication of the new Nationality
Bill has been sharp and very unfavourable. The Unofficial Members
of the Executive and Legislative Councils (UMELCO) have been con-
cerned about the proposals since the publication of the original
Green Paper in 1977. Sir Y K Kan and Sir S Y Chung saw Lord Goronwy
Roberts about it and Sir Y K Kan raised it with Lord Carrington when
they met in November 1979. In particular, they see the Bill as a
move by HMG to distance itself from Hong Kong (with uncertainty over
the future in mind). Sir Y K Kan is quoted in the Hong Kong press
as having said on 28 January that the new British Bill "could lead
to misgivings that the UK Government is intending to shed its
obligations towards Hong Kong". But the Bill is not directed to Hong
Kong issues. It is designed to provide a distinctive citizenship
for those with a close connection with the UK itself. Sir Paul
Bryan strongly supported Hong Kong's case in the debate on the
Second Reading of the Bill. Both the Home Secretary and Mr Raison
emphasised the importance the Government attached to its links with
Hong Kong. The relevant parts of these speeches are attached.
Nomenclature
2. The Unofficials maintain that from Hong Kong's point of view
there is no need for their designation as Citizens of the United
Kingdom and Colonies (CUKCs) to be changed to Citizen of British
Dependent Territories (CBDTs). Retention of CUKC for these people
only would cause great confusion since at present it embraces all
three categories of Citizenship proposed under the Bill.
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