registration as British citizens similar to the proposed entitlement
to registration as BOCs. But subsequent generations will have no automatic claim to British citizenship, nor an entitlement to
registration. Granting British citizenship to the current generation cannot therefore benefit the third and subsequent generation born
after 1997.
h)
There are about 11,500 non-ethnic Chinese BDTCs who have no other nationality, and about 60,000 who could apply for BDTC.
The Government do not think it right to create such a large and
uncertain immigration commitment after 1997. Moreover the
Government have made it plain that in the unlikely event of any British national coming under pressure to leave Hong Kong, they would expect the Government of the day to consider sympathetically whether to admit them, on a case by case basis.
2.
HMG SHOULD GIVE NON-ETHNIC CHINESE RIGHT OF ABODE IN ANOTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORY, SO ENABLING THEM TO REMAIN BDTCS
Not for HMG to do this. Right of abode in a dependent territory is governed by each territory's own rules and laws, which are designed to identify those
people who "belong" to that territory. It would not be right to seek to give Hong Kong "belongers" right of abode in another dependent territory with which
they were not connected.
3.
BRITISH CITIZENSHIP OF GREATER BENEFIT THAN BN (O) OR BOC, BECAUSE CHILDREN BORN IN UK OF BRITISH CITIZENS ACQUIRE IT AT BIRTH
Those who could afford the time and money to make the necessary arrangements to
come to the UK could do so. But it is undesirable in principle to make special
provisions which will only benefit those with the resources to ensure their children are born in the United Kingdom or a dependent territory.
CHILDREN OF BRITISH CITIZENS CAN BE REGISTERED UNDER SECTION 3(1)
4.
This is at discretion of Secretary of State. But he will not normally exercise
discretion unless he is satisfied that a child's future lies in the United
Kingdom. Future generations in Hong Kong are not likely to meet this requirement.
D1.3