5.
allouse
we dont had
have M.M What the saye li
crualit b
then.
We must also take into account the sensible principle of the British Nationality Act which this House approved in 1981 that British citizenship should reflect
a person's close
And, since British
personal links with the United Kingdom. citizenship carries with it the right to come and settle in this country, we must think of our commitment to a fair as well as a firm immigration policy.
policy. There are at present about 11,500 people in Hong Kong who in 1997 might seek to benefit under the statelessness provisions, But it is simply not possible to give any assurance now about the additional numbers who, over the next 11 years, might be able to benefit. We cannot responsibly agree to create this uncertain and possibly sizeable immigration commitment. only responsible way to enter into a commitment
is on the understanding that it may one day have to be met in full]
The
need to be a good deal of
There are those who argue that given the circumstances of Hong Kong it would nevertheless be prudent to grant these people British citizenship in case circumstances there were to change and they had to leave. Of course if this were to be the case, there would no doubt reconsideration and readjustment. But it is not sensible to go into the next 11 years planning for the worst, and we have no reason at all to do so. But I understand the concerns of this community and that is why I have already made clear that if any British national were at any time to come under pressure to leave Hong Kong, we would expect the Government of the day to consider sympathetically their admission to the United Kingdom on a case by case basis. Mr John Swaine, the Convenor of the Legislative Council's Ad
Council's Ad Hoc Group on the Order, has been quoted as welcoming this as a strong moral commitment to this community. I am sure he was right to do So. Taken together with our others measures it provides the best assurance for a secure and confident future for the
people of Hong Kong.
/There are already