H
If it
used, it seems important to restate the Government's
objections in principle to Lord Bruce's amendment.
is passed it will then be apparent that Parliament and
not the Government were responsible.
5. The granting of British citizenship to all Falkland
Islanders would be seen as concrete proof of HMG's commit-
ment to the Islands and would be widely welcomed there and
in the UK. It would affect only very few people
J
some
400 - and would thus not lead to fears of uncontrolled
immigration into the UK. However, it would also undermine
a basic concept of BNA 1981 that British citizenship (BC)
(which carries the right of abode in the United Kingdom)
is confined to persons with a close UK connexion.
Dependent Territories citizenship (BDTC) will be held by
those with similarly close ties with one or more of the
dependencies.
6.
British
Despite strong lobbying from a number of dependent
territories, notably Hong Kong, the FCO has consistently
opposed any legislation which would confer British citizen-
ship (BC) solely by virtue of a connexion with a dependency.
The Government also opposed the amendment to the Act under
which Gibraltarians, while not automatically acquiring
BC status, will have the entitlement to register as BC, but
this amendment was finally carried in Parliament.
1
Section
5 of the Act does not give special treatment to Gibraltarians
by name, however, but only in as much as they fall to be
treated as UK nationals for European Community purposes.
It can therefore be defended as unique, being applicable
to our only dependency in Europe. The Falkland Islands
have no link with the European Community to justify special
treatment.
17.