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GR 350
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 09093OZ
CONFIDENTIAL. HKK 340|1
FM HONG KONG 09084DZ DEC 32
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1443 OF 9 DECEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
YOUR TELNO 1040 OF 8 DECEMBER.
PQ: BNA 1981.
NO 14:3/12 AF 13/12
WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS TO THE DRAFT REPLIES IN TEL UNDER REF.
2. THE SECOND SENTENCE OF THE HOME OFFICE'S DRAFT REPLY GIVES A VERY NEGATIVE IMPRESSION FROM THE HONG KONG POINT OF VIEW. WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING ALTERNATIVE ANSWER, WHICH ALSO OMITS THE REFERENCE TO EXPECTATIONS. '' THERE HAS BEEN NO ALTERATION IN THE CITIZENSHIP OR IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SINCE ROYAL ASSENT WAS GIVEN TO THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981. MOREOVER, AS THE PRIME MINISTER SAID IN HONG KONG IN SEPTEMBER 1982, THE ACT DOES NOT AFFECT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THEM. 3. FIRST SUPPLEMENTARY. AS I HAVE SAID THE ACT DOES NOT AFFECT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THEM. IT DOES NOT IN ANY WAY ALTER THE CONSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIP OF THE U.K. WITH THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES: NOR DOES IT CHANGE THE IMMIGRATION POSITION OF PEOPLE FROM THEM''. (NOTE: THIS ANSWER IS FACTUALLY CORRECT AT PRESENT. HOWEVER THE PROPOSED FALKLAND ISLANDS AMENDMENT WOULD APPEAR, WHEN ENACTED, TO CHANGE THE IMMIGRATION POSITION OF SOME PEOPLE FROM THE FALKLAND ISLANDS).
4. THIRD SUPPLEMENTARY. THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A CHANGE IN STATUS. THE NATIONALITY DESCRIPTION TOGETHER WITH THE DESCRIPTION ''BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZEN' FOLLOWED BY THE NAME OF THE TERRITORY, WHICH WILL APPEAR BELOW IT, SIMPLY DESCRIBE THE NATIONALITY AND THE CITIZENSHIP OF BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS AND REAFFIRMS THEIR BRITISH NATIONALITY'' 5. FOURTH SUPPLEMENTARY. THE CHANGE REAFFIRMS THE NATIONALITY OF BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS AS BRITISH. IT INDICATES THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GIVING THE HOLDERS OF THE PASSPORTS CONSULAR PROTECTION AND FOR REPRESENTING THEIR INTERESTS ABROAD''
CONFIDENTIAL
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