HONG KONG BACKGROUND BRIEF
NATIONALITY
1. Nationality has long been a sensitive issue in Hong Kong. There is considerable resentment there that British nationals in Hong Kong are subject to UK immigration control, and do not have the right to enter Britain freely and settle here. The resentment stems largely from:
- the fact that British nationals in Hong Kong enjoyed this right until 1962;
- the mistaken belief that successive changes to British immigration and nationality laws were directed
principally at keeping Hong Kong people out of Britain;
- the geographical and historical background, which rules out independence for Hong Kong and self-determination for its people;
- the fact that Gibraltarians and Falkland Islanders are, or are entitled to register as, British citizens.
2. The total population of Hong Kong is 5.73 million (of which 43% were born after 1962). About 3.56 million of them are British Dependent Territories Citizens (BDTC) by virtue of birth or naturalisation in Hong Kong. Since anyone who has lived in Hong Kong for 5 years can apply to naturalise as a BDTC, it is theoretically possible for a further 1.9 million or so people to acquire this status. It is estimated that some 1.44 million people currently hold a BDTC passport.
Legislative Background
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