15 JAN 93 15:26 B4 LINO 051 255 1160
REGISTRATION OF CHILDREN OF "SPLIT" FAMILIES
The problem
P. 10/12
Annex C
1. A number of ethnically Chinese British citizen parents in
Hong Kong are in the position of being able to transmit their
citizenship to children born in Hong Kong on or after 1.1.1983
(when the British Nationality Act 1981 came into force) but are
not able to transmit this citizenship to children born in Hong
Kong before that date.
2. As a result of pressure from Dr Leong and FCO on behalf of
these parents the Home Secretary agreed to relax our registration
criteria for families split, or potentially split, along
nationality lines. There was no blanket concession for these
families but it was explained that individual registration
applications would be likely to succeed where the applicants had
British citizen siblings or the applicants or their parents had
strong residential or other links with the United Kingdom.
Line to take
3. So far we have received 190 applications involving 126
families. Of these, 112 applications have been approved. None
have yet been refused, although a small number of applications
appear at first sight to be doubtful. These are being put to one
side for further consideration after the bulk of applications
have been granted.
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