E.R.
CONFIDENTIAL
5. The second point was whether more could be said to reassure the ethnic minorities about their future security. In discussion it was agreed that a delicate balance had to be struck between reassuring the ethnic minorities and giving the impression that the Government had no confidence in the Joint Declaration. Ministers had already made clear that if British nationals were left with nowhere to go, the Government of the day would be expected
to consider sympathetically whether to admit them to this country on a case by case basis.
However, it was quite a different matter to go further and suggest that nationality law might be amended in future to grant British citizenship to the ethnic minorities. Mr Waddington was content that the existing line should be worked up, but not that anything should be said about amending nationality law. It was agreed that this and the previous point would require further consideration when the debate speech was being drafted.
cc PS/Mr Renton
Mr Fittall
Mr Woodland
Mr Hyde
Mr Phillips
Mr Pakenham-Walsh
Mr Holmes
Mr Fries
Mr Lyon
Mr Acton Mr Bickham
Снивает
CCR HUDSON
Private Secretary
27 February 1986
CONFIDENTIAL