TNAG-0661-FCO40-810-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1977 — Page 7

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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Of the 3,300,000 million British subjects who would be-- most affected by the, proposed revisions of the British Nationality. Law, 79% (2,500,000 in number) are Hong Kong people. It is regrettable that the Hong Kong Government has taken no positive steps to encourage those Hong Kong people who would be affected to take part in a discussion of the issue. The authorities also failed to supply the press with detailed information on the issue when the latter asked about it. It does look like that the Hong Kong Government is not really facing up to its responsibility.

The Green Paper, running to 26 pages in 79 paragraphs, is a report written with the intention of fulfilling the promise. to revise the Nationality Law made by the British Labour Party in its Platform in February 1974 before the General Elections. It was given considerable coverage by such nation-wide newspapers as the London Times a day or two after its publication, but nary a murmur about it has been heard afterwards. It is likely that the majority of the British people are still unaware of its

existence.

A

British Commonwealth immigrants who would be directly affected by British immigration and nationality laws have reacted to it more strongly, however, and they have voiced their opinion through various immigration organisations that the recommendations made by the Green Paper merely aim to give another. screw to the suppression of non-white immigrati on. It has also been pointed out by Ann Dummet. an authority on racial problems and spokesman for racial relations organisations, that the implementation of the revised Law would help swell the number of stateless people; it would also be prejudicial, to the relations between Brivain and Commonwealth countries and might even arouse doubt in British Commonwealth immigrants about the sincerity of the British Government's proclaimed wish to

promote racial harmony.

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EXISTING BRITISH NATICFALITY LAW IS IN A LUDDLED STATE

Founders of the British Empire had the ideals about nationality, as they hoped that all people naturalised born

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