TNAG-0979-FCO40-1198-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 143

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DSR 11C

territory; "British subject"

and "British Citizen"

are

uncomfortably similar to be used with different meanings in a

law designed to improve the present confused situation (and

might mean finding an alternative for " British Citizen"

as

11

11

13

such

UK Citizen' ); to add "British subject" to the title

of "British Overseas Citizens' (i.e. non-belongers) might

make serious problems in the immigration context (and we see

considerable difficulties in withholding it from them if the Colonial citizens

Other two categories had it); and it would mean, despite the

aim at simplification, that we should then have three

statuses: Commonwealth citizenship, British subject, and

British Citizenship (or dependency citizenship). The

abandonment of the term as a common status had been agreed by

Ministers and has been at least tacitly endorsed by the

appropriate Cabinet committee.

Nevertheless, we think that

there is a case for re-opening this question in the interests

of the dependencies and to meet the wishes of their citizens

and we are ready to do so.

6. With this in mind we have been examining your preferred

alternatives to CUKC. There appear to be the following

options.

a) [British Subject]: Citizen of Hong Kong (or Hong Kong

Citizen).

Comment. This was the first preference after CUKC

in Cater's telno 95 of 15 January. We think that this

would in reality be creating separate citizenships for

each dependency albeit all in the one Act. Even if

the Act could be drafted so that it did not legally

create a separate citizenship for Hong Kong this

title gives every appearance of doing so. HMA in

Peking does not like tt because he fears that the PRC

Dd 0532000 400 M 5/78 HMSO Brac

BrackWould

CONFIDENTIAL