HONG KONG NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL
POINTS FOR CRITICISM
6.
LOSS OF BN (0) STATUS ON OR BEFORE JULY 1997
CRITICISM
1.
If before 1997 a BN (0) renounces or is deprived of his BDTC
he should not lose BN (0) status at the same time, but should at
least retain it until 30 June 1997.
PROVISION IN THE ORDER
2.
Article 4(3) of the Order provides that if a person ceases
to be a British Dependent Territories citizen he shall also cease
to be a BN(0).
Line to Take
3.
Simultaneous loss of status is in accordance with the express
wish of Hong Kong. They argued that since BN (0) status derives from
BDTC status, it would be wrong for a person to be able to retain
the former when he renounced or was deprived of the latter. The
Government accept this argument. It will not be possible however
for a person to renounce his BDTC status and consequently his BN (0)
status if that would leave him stateless. This is precluded by
section 12 of the British Nationality Act 1981, the provisions of
which extend to this Order by virtue of Article 7(10).
E.10
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