TNAG-0901-FCO40-1111-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 209

CONFIDENTIAL

21. It is unlikely that colohies could accept the immigration

commitment resulting from granting citizenship to the

husbands of women who are citizens by connection with it.

The question whether a wife marrying a British Overseas

Citizen by connection with a dependency should have the

right to be registered must be left until the question of

the Convention on the Nationality of Married Women has been

settled (see corresponding reference to British Citizenship

).

in

Naturalisation

22. It has been suggested in the Green Paper that, as for

British Citizenship, there should be one process by which

adults may obtain British Overseas Citizenship, to be called

naturalisation. As foreshadowed in the Green Paper, this

should continue to be completely at the discretion of the

Governor; to confer any form of entitlement would add to

immigration problems. It is suggested that the residential

qualification should be altered to five years ordinary

residence, with discretion to reduce the period, and with

the existing requirements as to good character, knowledge of

the language (which may include an officially approved local

language) and intention to go on living in the dependency.

Naturalisation (as well as all forms of registration) should

confer citizenship by grant, which the purposes of trans-

mission to children born outside the dependency concerned

would be the equivalent of citizenship by descent.

Crown Service

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