1993
11:38
B4 IND LIVERPOOL
44 051 336 3386
P.05
Lordships that a significant proportion of these British Overseas
citizens scattered throughout the world have no other citizenship
but this. There are likely to be more than 3 million people in
Hong Kong by 1997 with BN (0) status and the BN(0) passport is
accepted throughout the world.
BN(0) and BOC passports are not simply travel documents. Holders
of these passports do not need entry clearance for visits to the
United Kingdom. They also have an entitlement to registration
as British citizens provided that they have completed five years'
residence in the United Kingdom and have achieved settled status.
passports
confer-British consular-protection.
Those
worldwide.
also
This is a point I wish to emphasise because it appears not to be
generally understood. These passports will confer British
consular protection in the Hong Kong special administrative
region, as it will be known, after 1997 providing (and
underline this point) the holders are not Chinese nationals as
If they are Chinese nationals as well as British, the
"Master Nationality" rule comes into play and the British
well.
subsidiary a
status.
This is
a
I
nationality has
rule of
international law under which a state may not afford diplomatic
protection
to
one of its nationals against a state whose
nationality such a person also possesses.
strictly speaking convect
In terms, therefore, of ability to travel, diplomatic protection
and entitlement to British citizenship after fulfilling the UK
4