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Mr Nutall
Consular Department
HONG KONG NATIONALITY: REGISTRATION OF ETHNIC MINORITIES
1.
Please see Hong Kong telno 891, not previously copied to you (I also attach Hong Kong telno 740 referred to telno 891 and briefing on the background to the question of arrangements after the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong in 1997 for the ethnic minority community).
2. You will see that LegCo seeks assurances for this community. The proposal put forward in telno 891 is that members of the ethnic community with solely British nationality might be invited to register after 1997 at the British Consulate-General. The idea being that this would give members of that community confidence that the British authorities were aware of who they were and enable the Consulate more easily to afford eg Consular protection should the need arise.
3.
It is my understanding that this sort of registration usually operates where there is potential danger to the British community to establish the extent of Consular obligations (and for practical purposes, such as starting up wardens' networks). In Hong Kong, we will of course already have records for all British Nationals (Overseas). But we will not know which of these fall into the ethnic minority community. Such a programme might therefore fulfil a practical function as well as providing a confidence building measure to this community.
4. I would be grateful if you could comment on the practicalities of registering this community. We believe them to number around 7,000, but cannot be sure. What would the resource implications be? Could they not be invited to register with the Hong Kong Immigration Department when they register as BNOS?
5. I would also welcome any comments which copy addressees may have.
M Davies James
Deborah Barnes Jones
Hong Kong Department WH 312
270 2068
9 June 1993
CC Mr Mulcahy, MVD
Mr Hayward, NTCD
Mr Kelly, Home Office (by tax)
ر
HKD 340/6
RF
10 Ju. 1993
eth.min.NAT.JRB CODE 18-77
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