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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1206
+IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW BN(0) PASSPORT WHICH WILL BE THE SUCCESSOR DOCUMENT TO THE CURRENT BDTC (HONG KONG) PASSPORT.+
SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENTS HAD ALREADY INDICATED THEY WERE LIKELY TO ACCEPT THE NEW PASSPORTS.
ONCE THE ORDER IN COUNCIL HAD BEEN MADE, THE UK GOVERNMENT WOULD APPROACH OTHER COUNTRIES THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW PASSPORT, HE ADDED.
SIR DAVID SAID MEMBERS WOULD ALSO HAVE NOTICED FROM THE MEMORANDA EXCHANGED BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS AND PUBLISHED LAST THURSDAY, THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED TO THE INCLUSION OF AN APPROPRIATE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN BN(0) PASSPORTS INDICATING IN CLEAR TERMS THE HOLDER'S RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG.
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ON THE REQUEST CONCERNING THE NON-CHINESE BDTC'S, SIR DAVID SAID FOR THE REASONS SET OUT IN THE WRITTEN REPLY BY THE HOME SECRETARY ON APRIL 23, THE UK GOVERNMENT DID NOT CONS! DER IT RIGHT TO GRANT BRITISH CITIZENSHIP TO THOSE BDTC'S WHO WERE NOT ETHNICALLY CHINESE IF ON JULY 1, 1997 THEY WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS.
HE SAID +HOWEVER, AS IS ALREADY PROVIDED IN THE DRAFT ORDER THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) STATUS BEFORE JULY 1, 1997 AND WILL ON THAT DATE BECOME BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS IF THEY DO NOT DO SO.
+THEIR CHILDREN WILL ALSO BE BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS IF THEY WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN WILL HAVE AN ENTITLEMENT TO ACQUIRE BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP IF THEY ARE BORN STATELESS.+
+MOREOVER, IN RESPECT OF THOSE AFFECTED, THE HOME SECRETARY HAS GIVEN AN ASSURANCE THAT IF ANY BRITISH NATIONAL WAS IN THE FUTURE TO COME UNDER PRESSURE TO LEAVE HONG KONG, HE WOULD EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY TO CONSIDER SYMPATHETICALLY THE CASE FOR ADMISSION TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, SIR DAVID ADDED.
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