TNAG-0661-FCO40-810-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1977 — Page 78

EQUAL TREATMENT FOR ALL DEPENDENCIES

EXCEPTIONS

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9. The Green Paper proposes that, in general, the same provisions should be made for all dependent territories. exception relates to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, whose people, it is suggested, should become British citizens. The other exception relates to Gibraltar, whose people are at present accepted as United Kingdom nationals for European Community purposes and would, we expect, continue to be so accepted if they become British overseas citizens. If the Government of Hong Kong or of any other dependent territory wishes to put forward views on the common rules outlined in the Green Paper for acquisition and loss of British overseas citizenship, or to propose that the permanent (as distinct from transitional) arrangements should be open to variation for individual territories, we will study those views carefully.

POSITION OF CITIZENS OF THE UK AND COLONIES IN HONG KONG AT EXPIRY OF NEW TERRITORIES LEASE

10. It is not possible to predict the effect of the expiry of the New Territories lease on citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies (or British overseas citizens).

ACQUISITION OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP BY BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS FROM HONG KONG

11. As is clear from the Green Paper, the Government is not committed to any particular set of qualifications to be required of persons wishing to acquire British citizenship by naturalization. However, I see no reason to suppose that people from Hong Kong who are settled in the United Kingdom should not, as British overseas citizens, be eligible to apply.

EFFECT ON CIVIC PRIVILEGES

12. The Green Paper does not discuss civic privileges because such privileges do not stem directly from nationality law. Voting rights, for instance, stem from electoral law and can best be considered in that context.

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