CONFIDENTIAL

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PP HONG KONG

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 031100Z JULY 85

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 949 OF 4 JULY

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

MIPT: NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL

нки отолж

RECEIVED IN REGISTRÝ

- 5 JUL 1985

DESK OFFICEA

INDEX

P.A

PA

1. THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATION OF CHANGES IN THE DRAFT ORDER MAY

BE HELPFUL.

2. ADOPTION (PARA 2(C) OF YOUR TELNO 681): ALTHOUGH ADOPTION IS

QUALIFIED IN THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE WE SHOULD PREFER TO REGARD AN ADOPTION ORDER, MADE BY A HONG KONG COURT, AS ESTABLISHING IN ITSELF A CLOSE CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG. IT SEEMS TO US

UNLIKELY THAT A COURT WOULD MAKE AN ADOPTION ORDER IN ANY CASE

WHERE THE PARENTS DID NOT HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL HONG KONG

CONNECTION. CONVERSELY IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT A COURT IN ANOTHER

DEPENDENT TERRITORY WOULD MAKE AN ADOPTION ORDER IN THAT

TERRITORY BASED ON A HONG KONG CONNECTION UNLESS THE PARENTS IN

QUESTION HAD BY THEN ESTABLISHED THEIR OWN CLOSE LINKS WITH THAT

TERRITORY. YOU MIGHT WISH TO CONSIDER THIS IN YOUR REVIEW OF THE

IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE.

3.

REGISTRATION IN HONG KONG (PARA 2 (D) OF YOUR TELNO 681): THE

DRAFT ORDER IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENT IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE

WE SHOULD PREFER TO SPLIT REGISTRATION IN AND OUTSIDE HONG KONG.

IT SEEMS TO US THAT REGISTRATION IN HONG KONG IS A SUFFICIENT

CONNECTION IN ITSELF. OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO EXAMINE

THE BASIS ON WHICH REGISTRATION IN HONG KONG TOOK PLACE. THE

FACT THAT A WOMAN MAY, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE BEEN REGISTERED IN HONG

KONG ON THE BASIS OF HER MARRIAGE TO A GIBRALTARIAN DOES NOT IN

OUR VIEW NECESSARILY DEMONSTRATE A CLOSER CONNECTION WITH

GIBRALATAR. THE WOMAN MAY, FOR INSTANCE, BE CHINESE BORN AND

HAVE LIVED IN HONG KONG FOR MANY YEARS. WE DO NOT SEE AN EASY

WAY OF DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN CASES OF THAT NATURE IN WHICH IT IS

QUITE CLEAR THAT THE WOMAN WOULD HAVE TO BE REGARDED AS A HONG

KONG BDTC, AND THOSE WHERE IT WAS SIMPLY CONVENIENT FOR

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