CONFIDENTIAL
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intention of the British Nationality Act was that this should be a transitional and, except therefore in very limited circumstances, non-transmissible status. My only reservation on Mr Galsworthy's brief is when he says that there is 'now no strictly FCO reason for opposing' the grant of British citizenship to these people. Such a concession would undoubtedly lead to renewed demands from other quarters particularly St Helena. FCO telno 50 to Hong Hong sets out the arguments well.
Ex-Servicemen
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Despite the emotional force behind this request, it really would be opening a pandora's box to accept that service in the British Armed Forces (as opposed to Crown Service as this term is usually construed) should be a qualification for British citizenship. I do not think it would be practicable to confine such a concession to those who fought in the last war. There have been conflicts since, not least that in the South Atlantic, in which people from Hong Kong have been engaged. And the case could apply to BDTCs in other territories. The arguments are well set out in our telno 51 to Hong Kong.
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9 January 1986
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D W Partridge
Nationality & Treaty Department
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CONFIDENTIAL
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