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ps jour Blaker Ps/Mr Luke
Sir E Youde Mr Donald I'M Adams
Ar Jones NTD
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1.
tomorrow.
Nationality Bill:
Hong Kong
I know that you are seeing the Governor of Hong Kong
I
have just had a long and detailed discussion with
him myself. I think it important that I let you have my views
on his problem over the Nationality Bill issue.
2.
As you know, Hong Kong's concerns go back to the 1962 Immigration Act when, with some justification, they believed that without consultation, they had been deprived of
the right of automatic entry to the UK. When the framework of
the new nationality legislation was put forward, first in the Labour administration's Green Paper and subsequently in our own
White Paper, Hong Kong were told that the changes would be in
name only and that their practical position as regards entry and
long term residence in the UK would not be affected.
As you know, they were still worried over the psychological effect of
the change of citizenship title but, with the introduction of
the third category of citizenship for dependent territories they
were, with reluctance, prepared to live with the situation.
3.
However, when the Bill was published at the beginning
of this year, it was realised in Hong Kong that there were a
number of significant areas in which their practical situation
had deteriorated. One of these is the proposal that the automatic right of registration as a British citizen with right
of abode after five years residence should be ended; and that
citizens of the dependent territories would have to take their
/place
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