CONFIDENTIAL

WC SPECIAL VOUCHER SCHEME: GUIDANCE NOTES

MOKCROUND

1.

P... (228)

AND 34 fackage file

нко

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 5 MAY 1990

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

014

REGIATAY

Action Taken

12713

The expression United Kingdom passport holder (WDH) is reterally used to mean people of Asian origin who derive their citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) from birth or Pusidence in a former British Dependency in East or Central Africa. When these countries became independent many of the residents of. Asian origin automatically acquired citizenship of the new states or

Many, bowever, did so by registration within a prescribed period. did not acquire local citizenship and retained their citizenship of

The term also includes the UK and Colonies after independence. !ritish Protected Persons (EPPs), most of whom derive their status from a connexion with former British Protectorates or former Trust Territories but have not become citizens of those countries; and alue British Subjects without citizenship (PSVCs) who are persons Lorn before 1.1.49 who were British Subjects by reason of their connexion with former British India but who did not become citizens of India or Pakistan when those countries became independent (usually in the case of persons of Asian ethnic origin because they were not living in one of them at the time).

However,

2. Most of the UIII, like Commonwealth citizens generally, became subject to immigration control under the Commonwealth immigrants Act 1062 because they held passports issued in a dependency. they became free of control on the independence of the'r country of residence because they then qualified for passports issued by the British High Commissions. From about 1965 onwards the restrictions on trade, residence and employment placed on non-citizens by the new East African government's led to an increasing number of UKPH coming to the UK for settlement. To regulate this influx, the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968 was passed extending immigration control to those CUKCS who did not have certain specified connexions with the UK.

3.

At the same time a special voucher scheme was introduced under which those KPI heads of household, who held no other citizenship, were under pressure to leave their country of residence and had . nowhere else to go, could come to the UK for settlement with their

families.

The aim of the scheme was to ensure that UK were admit.. ted at a rate which was not too great for available housing and

other

Share This Page