special category within the scheme: the non ethnic
Chinese minorities will be eligible to apply for British
citzenship under the scheme and each application will be
treated on its merits.
As you know, in recognition of the particular
concerns of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, the
Government have already taken steps to reassure them
about their position after 1997. We have made provision
for the children and grandchildren of former BDTCs born
after 1997 to acquire British Overseas Citizenship if
they would otherwise be stateless.
And we have also
given a specific assurance in Parliament that if, against
all expectations, the ethnic minorities came under
pressure to leave Hong Kong in the future, and had
nowhere to go, we would expect the government of the day
to consider their case for admission here with
considerable and particular sympathy. We stand by that
undertaking.
The Council have also expressed concern about the
absence of clear provisions on how non-Chinese people can
prove that they have taken Hong Kong as their place of
permanent residence. As you know, the Joint Declaration
makes explicit provision for non-Chinese people to have
right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region and this is fully reflected in Article 24(4) of
the draft Basic Law. The Hong Kong Government recognise
that the Immigration Ordinance of 1987 will have to be
further amended to bring Hong Kong law completely into