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Procedure for acquiring "new" form of British Nationality?
28. Details will be announced later. Arrangements will be made for
BDTC passports to be replaced before 1 July 1997 by
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 be ab le to acquire 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
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
status when Hong
use
as BDTCs. Clearly inappropriate to retain BDTC
Kong no longer a dependent territory.
Applications for British citizenship under section 4(5) of the BNA
1981 on the grounds of crown service in Hong Kong?
31. A number of [234] applications for British citizenship under
this provision are currently under consideration, and it is not
possible to say at rpesent what the outcome will be. Each of them is being carefully considered on its own merits in the light of the
individual circumstances of each case.
[Of 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.
I t 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
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