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AUTOMATICALLY ACQUIRE BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP ON 1 JULY 1997
IF THEY WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS. IN ADDITION IT MAKES
SIMILAR PROVISION FOR THOSE (SOMEWHAT UNLIKELY) PERSONS WHO CEASE
TO BE BN (0)S ON 1 JULY 1997 UNDER ARTICLE 4(3) IF THEY TOO WOULD
OTHERWISE BE STATELESS.
26.
27.
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ARTICLE 6(2) CONFERS BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP AT BIRTH ON CHILDREN BORN ON OR AFTER 1 JULY 1997 TO FORMER HONG
KONG BDTCS IF THOSE CHILDREN WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS. IT COVERS SUCH CHILDREN BOTH OF HONG KONG BDTCS WHO BECAME BN(0)S, AND OF THOSE WHO FAILED TO ACQUIRE BN (0) STATUS, AND WHO THEMSELVES BECAME BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS UNDER ARTICLE 6(1).
ARTICLE 6(3) AND (4) FULFIL HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENTS TO SECOND GENERATION CHILDREN IF THEY ARE BORN
STATELESS. IT WAS PROPOSED DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE HONG KONG
BILL THAT THE AUTOMATIC PROVISIONS MADE FOR THE FIRST GENERATION
SHOULD NOT APPLY TO THESE CHILDREN, BUT THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE AN
ENTITLEMENT TO REGISTRATION AS BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS PARALLEL
TO THE ENTITLEMENT TO REGISTRATION AS BRITISH DEPENDENT
TERRITORIES CITIZENS PROVIDED BY SECTIONS 17(2) AND (3) OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981, WHICH ARE DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH 24 ABOVE.
28. ARTICLE 6(5) QUALIFIES ARTICLE 6(3) TO THE EXTENT THAT SECTION 17(4) OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981 QUALIFIES SECTION 17(2). THAT IS TO SAY, IT EMPOWERS THE SECRETARY OF
STATE TO ACCEPT AN APPLICATION WITHIN 6 YEARS RATHER THAN 12
MONTHS OF BIRTH, IF HE THINKS FIT IN THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF
ANY PARTICULAR CASE.
AMENDMENTS TO BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981.
29.
ARTICLE 7 SETS OUT THE AMENDMENTS WHICH WILL BE NECESSARY TO THE 1981 ACT.
30.
ARTICLE 7(2) INCLUDES BN(O)S IN THE CATEGORIES OF THOSE
ENTITLED TO REGISTRATION AS BRITISH CITIZENS UNDER SECTION 4 OF
THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981.
31.
ARTICLE 7(3) PROVIDES THAT BN(0)S WILL REMAIN COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS IN LINE WITH OTHER BRITISH NATIONALS.
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