BACKGROUND NOTE
1. Mr Ashley wrote to the Prime Minister on 14 March supporting the three requests
made by the Unofficial Members of the Executive and Legislative Council of Hong
Kong, namely:
a)
an endorsement in BN(0) passports that the holders do not require
a visa or entry certificate to visit the UK
b)
that non-ethnic Chinese British Dependent Territories citizens should
be granted British citizenship and
c)
that the 270 or so former servicemen who fought for Hong Kong in the
Second World War should be granted British citizenship.
The Prime Minister wrote to Mr Ashley on 1 April explaining that careful
consideration was being given to all three requests, and promising to write again
when a decision had been taken. A copy of the exchange of correspondence is
annexed.
2.
The Government's response to these requests is expected to be announced by
the dome Secretary on 23 April. The Government will agree to the passport endorsemen
which will be accompanied by an explanatory leaflet. The Home Secretary will
meet the ex-servicemen's request by agreeing to give sympathetic consideration
to applications from those eligible for registration as British citizens under
section 4(5) of the British Nationality Act 1981, and by offering to accept any
of the 270 who wish to come here at any time for settlement with their dependants.
But the Government will refuse the request by and on behalf of the non-ethnic
Chinese on the grounds that it is neither necessary to secure their future in
Hong Kong, nor right to accept such a large and uncertain immigration commitment.