BACKGROUND
CONFIDENTIAL
References:
A.
Ottawa Telno 857.
B.
Ottawa Telno 031.
C.
Mr Gillmore's minute to Burns of 29 January.
D.
Ottawa Telno 078
E.
FCO Telno 280 to Hong Kong.
1. The Canadians have traditionally taken a large number of immigrants from Hong Kong.
Of the 45,000 who emigrated from Hong
Kong last year, 24,000 went to Canada. The Canadians are concerned
that large numbers of Hong Kong people might flee to Canada (claiming ties with relations) if the situation in Hong Kong
seriously deteriorated. Partly for this reason, the Canadians have been giving detailed consideration to ways of bolstering Hong Kong's international position. They have set up an inter-departmental committee to examine specific ways in which Canada could help to
promote confidence in Hong Kong. These might include allowing the
establishment of a Hong Kong Government Office in Toronto;
negotiating various bilateral agreements with Hong Kong in various
fields; promoting Hong Kong participation in international
organisations etc.
2.
On the nationality issue, however, Canadian officials do not
hold out any early hope of being able to introduce comparable
measures to our own. They have pc nted out that if existing
nationality legislation were modi .ed to enable Hong Kong people to
acquire citizenship without completing the normal residence
requirement, this would run counter to the principle of universality
of application on which Canadian nationality legislation is based
and by appearing to favour one class of potential citizens over
another could expose the Government to legal challenge.
3.
Nevertheless Canadian officials have suggested that there might
be some flexibility in Canadian immigration rules which could be exploited, eg in relation to the period between acquiring landed
status and full citizenship.
4. Mrs Jean McLuskie; assistant deputy minister in charge of Asia
DAWACI (2)
CONFIDENTIAL