CONFIDENTIAL
Procedure for acquiring "new" form of British Nationality?
28. Details will be announced later. Arrangements will be made for
be replaced before 1 July 1997 by
BDTC
to passports pertaining to new status.
passports
HMG has let BDTCs down
29. No. All BDTCs by virtue of connection with Hong Kong will be eligible to retain British Nationality after 1997. Most Hong Kong residents become subject to immigration control under Commonwealth Immigration Act 1962. Position unchanged by British Nationality Act 1981 and agreement.
Benefits of New Status?
30.
Hong Kong BDTCS will
will be able to acquire new
new form of British
nationality that carries broadly same status as BDTC status except for transmission by descent. Holders of new status will be able
to
use British passports, be eligible for British consular protection
in third countries. They will be Commonwealth citizens and will have a right to registration as British citizens
on the same terms
as BDTCs. Clearly inappropriate to retain BDTC status when Hong Kong no longer a dependent territory.
Applications for British citizenship under section 4(5) of 1981 on the grounds of crown service in Hong Kong? 31. A number of [234] applications
this provision
to
are
the BNA
for British citizenship under
and consideration,
is not
it
currently under
possible
Each of them say at
outcome will be. rpesent what the is being carefully considered on its
own merits in the light of the
individual circumstances of each case. [Of the
the approximately 3
million Hong Kong BDTs no more than 250,000 are Crown Servants, and thus eligible to apply under section 4(5).]
No consular protection for former Hong Kong BDTCs in the SAR or
other parts of China?
32.
It is a standard international practice that one state cannot
provide consular protection for persons whom another stat considers to be its nationals when they are within the borders of that state. After 1 July 1997, Hong Kong will be part of the People's Republic
CONFIDENTIAL