TNAG-0901-FCO40-1111-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 202

CONFIDENTIAL

Transmission of Citizenship

6. On the permanent arrangements, there has been criticism.

of the suggestion (in paragraph 73) that British Overseas

Citizens who have no connection with an existing dependency

should not pass on their citizenship to their children; and

of the suggestion (also in paragraph 73) that women should

not pass on British Overseas Citizenship to their children

on the same basis as men, because of the immigration

restrictions needed by dependencies.

Grants of Citizenship in Dependencies

7. There has been no comment on the suggestion that the

grant of naturalisation in the dependencies should remain at

the Governor's discretion, rather than be dependent on

objective criteria.

Representations on Behalf of Particular Dependencies

8. In addition to comments about the position of individuals

there have been representations from influential groups in

certain dependencies objecting to the idea that people

connected with them should have a citizenship different from

that held by people born etc in the United Kingdom.

a) The Government and Opposition parties in Gibraltar

have pressed strongly for their people to be granted

British Citizenship. They have argued that their position

vis-à-vis the Spanish Government will be weakened

if it appears that their links with the United Kingdom

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