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IN CONFIDENCE
NATIONALITY BILL: HONG KONG
1. The purpose of the Bill is to update Britain's nationality laws
over a wide field, bringing citizenship into line with right of abode.
2. In common with most dependencies, Hong Kong would prefer there
to be no change in citizenship status. There have been extensive
consultations with Hong Kong since publication of the Green Paper in
1977, and the Hong Kong Government has accepted with reluctance that
there must be a change. The new category of Citizenship of the British
Dependent Territories was adopted for the White Paper on the suggestion
of the Hong Kong Government.
3. There is nevertheless a body of feeling in Hong Kong that the Bill
is intended to loosen ties between the UK and its dependencies, and
fears of becoming 'second-class citizens'. Such fears are groundless
and Her Majesty's Government have repeatedly affirmed their commitment
to the people of Hong Kong.
4. A particular problem has been the position of those in Crown Service
who were specifically excluded under the Bill from naturalisation as
British Citizens. Amendments have now been tabled, as the new Clause 9
of the Bill, that should allay most of Hong Kong's fears. These are:
CBDTS living in the UK for 5 years will have the right to acquire
British citizenship through registration instead of having to apply
for naturalisation;
a)
b)
5.
The Home Secretary will have discretion to register as a British
citizen a person who has at any time been in Crown Service under
the Government of a dependency or who has been appointed by or on
behalf of the Crown to certain forms of service in a dependency.
One problem that remains is that of nomenclature. Some community
leaders in Hong Kong have suggested inclusion of the words British
national or British subject in the CBDT title. Such a change would not
be possible as it would strike at the basic principles of the Bill as
it is framed.
IN CONFIDENCE