HONG KONG
DRAFT ORDER IN COUNCIL
ARGUMENTS FOR AMENDMENT
7.
COMMONWEALTH CITIZENSHIP
This relates to Article 7(3). It may be argued that BN(0)s
should not be Commonwealth citizens, since Hong Kong will not then
be part of the Commonwealth.
1.
Line to take
2.
Clearly there is no intention to suggest that Hong Kong will
remain part of the Commonwealth after June 1997. The Government
have undertaken that BN (0) status will carry with it broadly the
same rights as go with British Dependent Territories citizenship
apart from registration. BDTCs, in common with other British
nationals, are Commonwealth citizens, with the domestic rights
which that citizenship carries with it (eg the right to vote, to
join the Civil Service, to be a MP etc. if the appropriate
residence and other qualifications are met). BN(0)s will also be
British nationals. It would not be right to deprive them of
these domestic rights in 1997.
Scope for amendment
3.
With
If necessary, BN(0)s would be excluded from Commonwealth
citizenship. But this would have the effect of causing them to
be treated for most purposes as if they were his valtion -with
the British nationals. Not only would this cause dissatifaction in Hong Kong, but it would also make the job of moving auglichity
of BN(0) status and the BN (0) passports by other countries that
much more difficult, since it would be apparent that BN(0)s were
being treated by the UK differently from other British nationals.
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