TNAG-0979-FCO40-1198-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 2

dependent territories HMG has obligations to the residents and the residents have obligations to the Crown and HMG by reason of their dependent constitutional and administrative status. This constitutional relationship is absent in the case of the other category of proposed overseas citizens.

(b) Residents of Hong Kong (and I presume of many

other dependent territories) would re sent intensely having this special relationship with the Crown and with the United Kingdom downgraded by equating their citizenship with that of the other category. Their resentment would be well-founded.-- da?

(c) In the special circumstances of Hong Kong the

equating of residents of the Colony with the other category for whose welfare and support HMG have no responsibility, would be read as an attempt by the United Kingdom to distance itself from Hong Kong. This could have a serious effect on confidence.

but i

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(d) Similarly such a move could be misinterpreted by

Peking, and would certainly be used by Peking supporters in Hong Kong as evidence that the population should in future look more to Peking and less to London to protect their interests.

Under present administrative arrangements holders of British passports issued in Hong Kong enjoy no automatic right of access to or abode in the United Kingdom. I have argued additionally that since the se rights do not exist for Hong Kong residents under the present arrange- ments, and since there is no intention of changing their constitutional relationship with the UK, there was no practical or constitutional justification for a change in nomenclature.

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The Home Office are at last now ready to consider three instead of two tiers of citizenship, but have made two points in reply of which account should be taken;

(a) The nomenclature "Citizenship of the UK and Colonie s' should be abolished since it was associated with a unitary system of citizenship which was confusing

and eventually bore no relationship to automatic rights of access and abode.

CONFIDENTIAL