TNAG-0661-FCO40-810-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1977 — Page 12

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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

BRITISH CITIZENSHIP" AND

UNITED KINGDOM AND COLONIES CITIZENSHIP"

J

Aiming to rectify the defect in the existing "United Kingdom and Colonies Citizenship" system that allows Britain to confer varying rights on persons seeking entry to the United Kingdom, the Green Paper proposes that the British Government enact a new law that will abolish the existing "United Kingdom

and Colonies Citizenship" and have persons holding this kind of citizenship divided into two Linds", depending upon whether they have Close -Link (the term used by the Green Paper) with the United Kingdom (including England, Scotland, Wales, North Ireland, Isle of lion and Channel Islands) and whether they can identify with the British community. These two kinds" of "

ci tizenship are:

(1) BRITISH CITIZENSHIF,

and

2.

(2) BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZEN SHIP.

It is also proposed by the Green Paper that the following two kinds of arrangements be adopted when the new law comes in to

force:

(1)

TRA SITICAL ARRANGEMENTS, which should enable the Government to decide which kind of persons is to acquire "British Citizenship and which kind is to acquire United Kingdom and Colonies

Citizenship."

(2) FERMANENT ARRANGEMENTS, which will be

long-term and definite arrangements Made for acquiring either of the two kinds of British Citizenship (by birth, naturalisation, etc) that will be recognised.

/Mo......