CONFIDENTIAL
8.
3
Hong Kong saw proposals as attempt to distance Hong Kong
from UK. Home Office saw Hong Kong's proposals as attempt to frustrate aim of separate citizenship for those closely
connected with the UK itself.
9.
In last stages of Bill in Lords, Hong Kong particularly
anxious to have statement in Act that BDTCs were British
Nationals. HMG opposed because primary purpose of Act (to
clarify situation by bringing citizenship categories into line with immigration status and rights of abode) would have been
undermined. Gibraltar amendment and Ministerial assurances that
discretionary treatment would be given to those Falklanders who
do not have the right of abode in UK have added to ill-feeling.
10.
Hong Kong fears that the change in citizenship title may
be used as excuse by other countries to tighten up their
immigration rules for BDTCs. Germany and Austria have for some time required visiting Hong Kong passport hoilders to obtain Spain have more recently introduced this requirement
visas.
and the French may be about to do so. We have made representations (in Germany's case at Ministerial level) for them to remove the visa requirement but so far with little
success.
Hong Kong and General Department
November 1982
CONFIDENTIAL