TNAG-0660-FCO40-809-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1977 — Page 117

Circular 'O' 51/77 Home 'A' 52/77 GNN 340/1

IMMEDIATE

NEW NATIONALITY LEGISLATION

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office at this

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28 March 1977

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A Green Paper on a new nationality law will be issued after the Easter recess It proposes changes in the British Nationality Act 1948, as amended, and invites comments and discussion. The issue of a Green Paper does not commit the Government to the proposals discussed in it. Time is not likely to be found for a Bill in this Parliament. Guidance has been given to posts on the line to take, but members of the Diplomatic Service will wish to know how a change in the law might Sundancer affect them personally. Proposals in the paper would affect members of the Service

as they would all citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies, but officers of

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66,. the Service are recognised to have a particular problem over the status of their

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children born overseas. No mention is made of a remedy to this in the Green Paper, as we do not wish to draw public attention to it at this stage.

·

The Green Paper follows closely the report of a Group of Ministers and officials on the review of nationality law and any Bill is likely to be based on the report. This Group did recommend that children born outside the United Kingdom to a British citizen parent who is a United Kingdom Government officer appointed or seconded from the United Kingdom for service overseas in a capacity which qualifies him for Immunity from suit or legal process (a group which includes all members of the Service), should be British citizens by birth and thus able to transmit their citizenship to their children born overseas in turn,

3.

Members of the Service will be informed of any future developments likely to affect them. Nationality and Treaty Department meanwhile are the responsible Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

NATIONALITY AND TREATY DEPARTMENT

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