Circular 'O' 119/79
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
6 July 1979
PROPOSED CHANGES IN BRITISH NATIONALITY LAW
Posts
1. FCO telegram No 1 Saving to Abidjan of 28 March 1977 requested you to copy to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office any expressions of opinion by the public on the proposals in the Green Paper on nationality, and Guidance telegram No 66 of the same date made it clear that Her Majesty's Government would be ready to listen to views expressed by interested bodies and persons resident overseas. were not, however, requested to stimulate comment and in fact hardly any comment has been received from abroad.
2.
The Green Paper, one copy of which is being sent to each Post, was, of course, prepared while the late government was in office. The present government are also committed to reviewing the law of nationality and intend to introduce a Bill during the current session of Parliament. There may be changes in policy but the Home Office is at present continuing its studies on the basis of the proposals outlined in the Green Paper and comments received thereon.
3. If United Kingdom residents and firms abroad wish to make their views known they should make representations as soon as possible. It would be inconvenient if strong representations were received at a late hour, for example after the Bill had been presented to Parliament. We suggest, therefore, that you endeavour to bring the proposals in the Green Paper to the notice of interested persons resident in your jurisdiction by such means as may be conveniently at your disposal, for example through the Information Section (if any) and through any British club or association of businessmen. The Green Paper should be made available to serious enquirers and they should be encouraged to watch the British press for news of the expected future arrangements on British nationality policy.
4.
The principal proposals in the Green Paper that are likely to interest United Kingdom residents abroad are those concerned with the transmission of nationality. You will see in paragraph 46 that the government consider that as a general rule the new British citizenship should not be transmitted beyond the first generation born abroad. On the other hand, citizenship may be transmissible through women as well as men (paragraph 41). The proposals concerning the acquisition of citizenship by virtue of marriage are also of interest, as are proposed rules against dual nationality.
NATIONALITY AND TREATY DEPARTMENT
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All Posts (excluding Dependent Territories)
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