TNAG-0901-FCO40-1111-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 200

NLR(79)6

CONFIDENTIAL

BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP

INTRODUCTION

Draft 12 February 1979

1. This paper deals with the provisions that will be needed

in a new Act to regulate the acquisition, loss etc of British

Overseas Citizenship after a new Act comes into force ie

the permanent arrangements.

2. The details of which people will acquire the citizenship

on the coming into force of a new Act cannot be finally

settled until the corresponding arrangements are defined for

British Citizenship; for it is to be a fundamental feature

of the new arrangement that those citizens of the United

Kingdom and Colonies who do not acquire British Citizenship

shall acquire British Overseas Citizenship. A paper on these

transitional arrangements, as they affect both citizenships,

will be put forward later. But these need not affect

consideration of the permanent arrangements for granting

citizenship etc after the Act has come into force.

3. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office are very much

concerned with the proposed British Overseas Citizenship,

and their consideration of the contents of this paper may

take some time longer. Accordingly it is put forward on a

provisional basis, having been shown to them already, but it

is subject to amendment later.

The Basis of British Overseas Citizenship