TNAG-0660-FCO40-809-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1977 — Page 144

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the first generation born abroad. But beyond that, citizen-

for ship may be transmitted only in certain circumstances instance, if the father is in British Government Service at the time of the child's birth, or if the child is born in a

foreign (but not a Commonwealth) country and the child's birth is registered, within a limited time, at a British Consulate. There is no limit to the transmission of citizenship to further generations in these circumstances.

45.

These arrangements have grown up in a somewhat haphazard fashion, and can lead to anomalies. It seems odd to many

people that a child born in, say the USA can be given his father's citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies by consular registration if his father was born abroad, but a child born in Canada in similar circumstances cannot. A child born in Australia to a British diplomat who was himself born overseas acquires his father's citizenship, but a child born there to a British businessman in similar circumstances does not. A new citizenship would provide an opportunity to place the rules for descent on a more rational basis.

46. There are various options. At one extreme, if the United Kingdom were to adopt the ius sanguinis method, and confer citizenship on any child whose parent was a citizen, there could be no limits on transmission, no matter how distant were

the child's direct connections with the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has however been traditionally reluctant to extend its citizenship in this way; people have emigrated from this country in considerable numbers for at least the last 200 years, and the descendants of such people usually associate themselves with their country of birth, and not with the United Kingdom.

47. The other extreme would be to limit citizenship to the first generation born abroad and not allow people born overseas to transmit their citizenship to children born overseas. This might be necessary if citizenship were to carry with it the right to enter the United Kingdom. Without such a measure