06-JUL-1990 14:53
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Carl Gorrore: Mu Lords. not for the first time in his life, the
noble Lord is wrong. The Government have made it perfectly clear, and the noble Lord knows this perfectly well, that we went to a great deal of trouble to give those people in Hong Kong certain British passports and certain British citizenship to which they had not previously been entitled. We did that in order to conserve the status of Hong Kong and to enable Hong Kong to continue. I disagree totally with the noble Lord when he says that the loyalties of those people have not been recognised. They have.
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Lord Stoddart of Swindon: My Lords, I wonder if the noble Earl will help me with a little problem. Is it not a fact - perhaps he will correct me if I am wrong that the citizens of Macao are to be allowed to become citizens of Portugal? As such, will they not, as European citizens under the Maastricht Treaty, and indeed before the Maastricht Treaty, be able to come to this country and settle here to live and work here, and to vote here? Does he agree that it is strange that we should be allowing that to happen when former servicemen, people who have served this country, who are in this situation, will not be allowed to come here except under certain very stringent circumstances? low checking
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further details about Portager avocentjs Earl Ferrers: My Lords, I am not in a position to know to whom ments the Portuguese authorities give their citizenship. But I can tell the noble Lord that anyone who has Portuguese nationality will be able to come to Portugal and, having done so, will have free movement within the European Community.
Lord Williams of Elvel: My Lords, is the noble Earl therefore recommending that those Chinese Hong Kong personnel who serve in the Royal Navy and the Army, to quote my noble friend's question, should now defect and go to Macao in order to get Portuguese passports so that they can live in this country?
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Earl Ferrers: My Lords, the noble Lord tries to make a crafty point. I have not recommended that anyone do anything. I merely told the noble Lord's noble friend behind him what the facts were. Nor did I suggest that anyone should defect. that the Portuguese authorities do not dish out their passports for free, as it were. There are certain criteria which have to be met before a passport is issued. The noble Lord is about to ask me what the criteria are. I am not part of the Portuguese Government and I cannot tell him. What I can tell the noble Lord, if he will contain himself for just half a second more, is that holders of a Portuguese passport who come into the European Community will have the right of free travel within the Community.
Lord Williams of Elvel: My Lords, has the noble Earl understood that the Portuguese Government have already said that they will give Portuguese nationality to all the people from Hong Kong who apply in Macao?
Earl Ferrers: My Lords, I have said what the position then is; and I have not recommended that anyone defect.
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