Mr Burns, SEAD
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 340/1
RECEIVED
Reference
Mr. Brom
Jone A You
H
1/11
(191
N/R
BRUNEI: PASSPORTS
1.
INDEX
No
LAF
Brunei telegram No-152 arrived in the wake of your meeting yesterday. You may wish to draw on the following paragraphs, which follow our discussion, for a reply.
'Your telegram arrived as we were discussing this subject with NTD.
We see the following as the main factors: -
a)
b)
c)
d)
When the Nationality Act comes into effect on 1 January citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies in Brune will become either British Citizens or British Overseas Citizens (BOC). Because Brunei is not
a dependency none will become British Dependent Territories Citizens except perhaps for a few whose connections are with some dependency (probably Hong Kong). As a rule of thumb those with at least one grandparent born in the United Kingdom may become British citizens, a status which carries the right to enter and live in this country. The others, the BOCs, though qualifying for representation and protection by our diplo- matic and consular missions abroad will have no right of abode in the United Kingdom. Their status as BOCs cannot be transmitted to their children and in some cases they might be better off as Brunei nationals. Could you give us your current estimate of the number of BOCs in Brunei on 1 January and your assessment of how many of these might wish to take up Brunei citizenship if given the opportunity, and of the chances that the Sultan might be prepared to take them.
It is highly unlikely that the British nationality of any of the new BOCs will be challenged on the grounds that they have been naturalised or regis- tered with insufficient authority. We have no intention of making difficulties for you on this point.
We think that the Bruneian authorities should continue to issue British Protected Person (BPP) passports to Bruneian citizens during 1983.
Could you confirm that they have in all cases stopped issuing BPP passports to non-citizens? As you say, we have a parliamentary problem in this area.
Over the years it has been accepted that the issue of BPP passports 'as a temporary measure to avoid inconvenience'
CODE 18-77
CONFIDENTIAL
/would