TNAG-0660-FCO40-809-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1977 — Page 202

CONFIDENTIAL

An example of the effects of misreporting by a London correspondent of an Indian newspaper was provided by a speech made by the External Affairs Minister in the Indian Parliament on 14 May, 1976. Mr Chavan said that on informal enquiry the British Foreign Office had denied the report but he went on to say that the general trend in the United Kingdom since 1962 seemed to be to put more and more re-

strictions on immigrants. While he did not want to speculate on the review of the Nationality Act of 1948 "he would not rule out any eventuality". The

Government of India, he said, attached importance to just and humane treatment being accorded to all those Indian citizens who are resident in Britain.

He went on, "If the British Government make such changes in the Nationality Act as would smack of racialism, it will be a matter which needs our voice to be raised against it". In the Upper House the Deputy External Affairs Minister expressed the hope that HMG would not take any unilateral action for amending the present Nationality Act. "As in the past, India expects that the British Government would consult her before finalising any legislation in this

matter."

c.Sri Lanka

There are about 250,000 British subjects without citizenship (BSWCs) in Sri Lanka, nearly all Tamil tea plantation workers, whose future is the subject of an agreement between Sri Lanka and India under which these two countries are gradually absorbing them all as citizens. Our proposed new citizenship provisions would not affect them but could draw attention to the fact that they still have a status in United Kingdom law, causing them to claim it or the governments concerned to claim it for them.

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