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ARE SETTLED HERE UNDER THE IMMIGRATION RULES. (SETTLEMENT IS
USUALLY GRANTED TO BUSINESSMEN AFTER 4 YEARS IN THIS COUNTRY, AND
MAY BE GRANTED EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE SPENT ONLY PART OF EACH YEAR
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM WITH THE REST ON BUSINESS ABROAD.) IN THIS
CASE THE INDIVIDUALS COULD BE GRANTED BRITISH CITIZENSHIP NOW
ONLY IF THE HOME SECRETARY WERE PREPARED TO OFFER IMMEDIATE
SETTLEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT THE 4 YEAR QUALIFYING PERIOD
AND TO ACCEPT THAT THE PEOPLE NEED HAVE SPENT NO APPRECIABLE TIME
HERE IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. IN THE HOME SECRETARY'S VIEW, TO DO
THIS WOULD BE TO USE HIS POWERS IN A WAY DIRECTLY CONTRARY TO THE
MANNER IN WHICH MINISTERS ANNOUNCED IN 1981 THAT THEY INTENDED TO
USE THEM. IT WOULD THEREFORE BE NECESSARY TO EXPLAIN PUBLICLY WHY HE WAS TAKING SUCH ACTION AND THIS WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO
JUSTIFY.
3.
THE HOME OFFICE LETTER NOTES THAT IT COULD CAUSE
CONSIDERABLE CONTROVERSY TO ACCEDE TO MR SANDBERG'S REQUEST
'PARTICULARLY AS THE HOME SECRETARY CONSIDERS IT RIGHT TO
CONTINUE TO RESIST THE STRONGLY PRESSED CLAIMS OF SOME 11,000
BDTCS WHO ARE NOT ETHNICALLY CHINESE WHO WANT TO BECOME BRITISH CITIZENS'. IT ADDS THAT IT MIGHT IN PRACTICE ALSO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH CLEARLY, IN TERMS RELEVANT TO THE NATIONALITY PROVISIONS, BETWEEN THESE LARGE GROUPS AND THE PEOPLE MR SANDBERG HAS IN MIND, AND THAT 'WE COULD BE ACCUSED OF GIVING A PRIVILEGE TO RICH MEN WHO DO NOT WANT TO THROW IN THEIR LOT WITH BRITAIN BY LIVING HERE, AND DENYING IT TO POOR MEN WHO DO'.
4.
THE LETTER SUGGESTS THAT THE HOME SECRETARY SHOULD WRITE TO MR SANDBERG EXPLAINING THE ROUTE AVAILABLE TO THE BUSINESSMEN FOR SETTLEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY PRIOR TO MAKING AN APPLICATION FOR
HE BRITISH CITIZENSHIP, AND SAYING THAT IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, WOULD BE READY TO CONSIDER AS SYMPATHETHICALLY AS POSSIBLE THE
USE OF HIS DISCRETIONARY POWERS.
5.
NO 10 REPLIED TO THE HOME OFFICE ON 18 MARCH SAYING THAT THE PRIME MINISTER FINDS THIS RESPONSE 'UNIMAGINATIVE': THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DEVOTING MUCH EFFORT TO PERSUADE WEALTHY HONG KONG
CHINESE TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR CONFIDENCE IN THE AGREEMENT BY STAYING ON AND MAINTAINING THEIR BUSINESS AND INVESTMENTS, WHEN
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CONFIDENTIAL