394B
148
147
EXTRACT
British Nationality
клом DEBATE
ON
کاری 40
Of
CONDS
NATIONALITY A WAL
[7 OCTOBER 1981 1
should lik
suggest that the Falklanders were and are closely connected with the United Kingdom. They all came from the United Kingdom and have no other language, except English. In 1833 when the earliest British settlers went out there, there was no indigenous population and their immigration laws have always been much stronger than ours here. When I was discussing matters with them I suggested that because of the shortage of their population they might take some Vietnamese refugees there. They were very indignant and said, No, we are British and we want to keep the island British". Therefore, I tabled this new clause and I hope it will prove helpful to the Minister. I shall not go into details because everything is set out in great detail and I am sure that everybody can understand the amendment. I think it gives adequate safeguards to the Falkland Islanders and does not leave any loophole, which I think is most important for the future.
One has to remember that the people there have been connected with the Islands for up to as many as six generations. They are all descended from people who were English, Irish, Welsh or Scottish. I under- stand there are still some of the Chelsea pensioners left who settled there and were given the promise at that time of the right to retain British citizenship. The islanders have lived in a colony of the United Kingdom and I think they should be able to retain British nationality.
During the Second Reading of the Bill the noble Lord, Lord Soames said:
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The whole purpose of the Bill is to alter the British citizenship to those who are specifically and intimately connected with the United Kingdom and only with the United Kingdom".
I suggest that the islanders have no other connection. Those people I am discussing today are all connected with the United Kingdom. Some have even planned to retire here and some have bought little houses in Scotland. Some of them who have sons or daughters who are able to take over the farm management, for example, are planning to retire in this country. I cannot understand why there should be different treatment for the islanders when those living in the Channel Islands, many of whom have French ancestors are considered to be part of the British Nationality Bill. In column 725 on 28th July the Minister said this:
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We are very conscious of the problems that the people of the Falkland Islands face and we are concerned to help them . . .”. He added:
We believe that the pledges we have given to the Falkland Islanders are much to be preferred to measures which, however well intentioned, would have consequences which could go a long way to nullifying the objectives of this long overdue legislation".
I would suggest that is rather an exaggerated statement for the 400 or 500 people we want to help today. I should also like to know what the pledges were, because he did not say.
Since that debate in this House there has been one n the Falkland Islands and they have decided to end a petition to the Prime Minister, stating their jews. I have here a copy, and it states:
"We, Falkland Islanders and supporters in the United ingdom, earnestly request that Mrs. Thatcher and her Govern- ent reconsider the terms of the British Nationality Bill in order accord full British citizenship to all islanders of British descent"
HKK 34011 Bill
That is all that is being asked for in this amendment. All parties have had aetion in the Council in the Falkland Islands and all parties..have agreed to that request:=× (
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one
Two Members of the House of Commons Conservative Member and one Labour Member, have recently been there
them on their
return. They went as part or Commonwealth Parliamentary Association delegation. They came back with first-hand views and have expressed to me the real anxiety of the people in the Falkland Islands, especially among the younger members. There is also the fact that HMS Endurance", which used to patrol the waters round the Falklands, has now been withdrawn owing to the defence cuts. This makes them feel even more cut off than they were before. I should like to know whether there was a pledge of a period of years for which they would receive guardian- ship of their waters. Also, I should like to know whether, if an islander marries a non-islander and they come to this country, they will have to travel on different passports. Also, would they be allowed to stay here for more than six months? I understand that is quite a problem.
In the previous debate, I mentioned the excellent work done by the islanders in the last war. I under- stand now that they are carrying on traditions and being very loyal to this country. They buy British, and the delegates who came back said that they buy British cars and the only Japanese vehicles they saw were a few Honda motor cycles. So I consider they are as British as we are. I think they deserve this nationality and I am very grateful to my noble friend Lord Renton for the kind remarks he passed about my amendment. Therefore, I hope it will be con- sidered by the Minister and others of your Lordships to be worthy of support, and I beg to move.
Baroness Trumpington: My Lords, as we all know, from the point of view of the Falkland Islanders this Bill creates a parallel citizenship as it does for the other British dependent territories, but it in no way weakens Britain's moral and constitutional responsibility for those in the dependencies-and this must never be forgotten. It must be right that the Government have taken the view that it would be invidious to devise separate and special citizenships for some dependencies and not for others. Making an exception for some dependencies would create the very type of anomalies which the Bill is designed to erase, and would lead to demands for equal treatment from those dependencies who might consider themselves less well-treated.
This House has seen fit to make a special case of for Gibraltar, the only British dependency that is part of Europe. So be it, but if I may paraphrase the Home Secretary when he spoke in the other place on 2nd June it is no good anyone telling me that the people of Hong Kong would not demand similar treatment and would not be deeply resentful, if they did not get it. I know that they would because they have told me so. If we give way to some dependencies and not to others, I can think of no position more unsatisfactory. Surely this House recognises that the new form of citizenship for the British dependent territories is clearly necessary simply because it would not be possible, for immigration reasons, to accommodate all citizens within
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