DMARVA
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a special sub-quota of passports under the 1990 Act at the
cost of other HK BDTC's
J
surely not, even if that were
legally possible. Many comments in the LegCo debate
suggested that more passports should be provided generally
by HMG, not specially for ethnic minorities. The
arguments on this have all been made at the time of the
granting of this major concession to Hong Kong in 1990.
The Hong Kong Government is well known to have argued for
more and in an ideal world no doubt more could have been
But I am fairly sure that it is not possible
now to open this issue again, for ethnic minorities or
available.
others.
It seems, in conclusion, that the intention of
your organisation is to seek guarantees from the British
Government either by way of the right of abode in the
United Kingdom or British nationality within some special
provision or through an amendment to the British
Nationality Scheme.
of whatever sort is a matter for Her Majesty's Government
in the United Kingdom. As to the use of the British
Nationality Scheme to provide a racial element as implied
we have clarified before that it would not be possible to
do so because the law does not allow for it, even if it
were acceptable in principle. Therefore although I am
Any request for British citizenship
happy to pass on your requests and views, as we have
indeed done already after both the Legco debate and the
LegCo sub-Committee meeting, I must say that given the
legal and other background, I do not consider further