CAN THE HOME SECRETARY EXERCISE MORE FLEXIBILITY/DISCRETION IN CASES
OTHER THAN BUSINESSMEN IN GRANTING CITIZENSHIP?
Certain statutory requirements must be met by applicants for citizenship (eg being present in UK on exact date five years before applications) and applicants would be expected to have lived in UK during the five year period. Home Secretary always considers individual circumstances of applicant but applicant must show that
he has thrown in his lot with the UK.
WHY DO ONLY CHINESE RESIDENTS HAVE PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS AT
PRESENT? WHAT ABOUT NON-CHINESE ETHNIC MINORITIES?
As was made clear at the time, the legislative amendment introduced in 1987 giving right of abode in Hong Kong to ethnic Chinese was a first step in aligning the provisions in Hong Kong Law with the relevant provisions in the Joint Declaration.
There is some way to go before the full implementation of the
Joint Declaration provisions. We believe that a step-by-step approach in giving full effect in Hong Kong law to the Joint
Declaration will be conducive to a smooth transition. The Hong Kong
Government are actively considering when to take the next step towards bringing Hong Kong law more closely into line with the
relevant Joint Declaration provisions.
The Hong Kong Government are well aware of the interest of
non-Chinese in this regard.
As regards how a non-Chinese can establish that he has taken
Hong Kong as his place of permanent residence, the Hong Kong Government already made clear in the Legislative Council in 1987 that the British and the Chinese Governments had agreed that this would be by way of the signing of a simple declaration by the person in question.
ALAAAT