CONFIDENTIAL
BACKGROUND
References:
A.
Secretary of State's statement of 20
NATIONALITY
B.
C.
D.
December 1989.
Secretary of State's letter to the President of the Council of Hong Kong
Indian Associations.
Extract from House of Lords' Hansard 1986
Teleletter dated 12 April from New Delhi.
A
B
C
1. The Council of Hong Kong Indian Associations lobbied
long and hard for HMG to grant automatic British citizenship to the non-Chinese ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. They
have expressed disappointment that no special provision has been made under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act.
They are concerned that they could become stateless after
1997. The Government has taken several measures to
safeguard their position.
2.
Special provision was made, under the Hong Kong (British
Nationality) Order 1986, for the ethnic minorities who
might otherwise be stateless to be granted British Overseas
Citizenship for two generations beyond 1997.
3. The Government also gave an assurance in Parliament in 1986 that it would consider it an obligation upon any future government to treat with consideration and sympathy the case
for admission to UK of any solely British national who came
under pressure to leave Hong Kong.
4.
We have thus far refrained from lobbying the Indian
Government as part of our general exercise to encourage other countries to give assurances to Hong Kong people, despite the ethnic connection. Our High Commission advised
against raising the matter during Lord Brabazon's visit to
SUYANU/2
CONFIDENTIAL