TNAG-0979-FCO40-1198-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 38

CONFIDENTIAL

the conferment of British Citizenship would have the effect of making him lose the citizenship of another country which he also holds; and this might be contrary to his wishes. Accordingly, it will be proposed in the Bill that a British Subject without Citizenship or a British Protected Person, lawfully settled here when the Act comes into force, should be entitled to be registered as a British Citizen on making an application, when he has been resident here for 5 years.

Citizenship of the British Dependent Territories

35. Citizenship of the British Dependent Territories would be acquired on the day that the legislation comes into force by a Citizen of the United Kingdom

and Colonies:

(a) who was born in what is still a dependency or Associated State

when the legislation comes into force, or who obtained his citizenship by naturalisation or registration in such a place;

(b)

who has or had a parent or grandparent who was born, naturalised

or registered in a dependency or Associated State;

(c) who has been married to a man who becomes or would, but for his

death, have become a Citizen of the British Dependent Territories.

British Overseas Citizenship

36. British Overseas Citizenship would be acquired by all those remaining

citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who do not become British Citizens

or Citizens of the British Dependent Territories. Thus every Citizen of the

United Kingdom and Colonies would acquire at least one of the new citizenships.

The people who will become British Cverseas Citizens are mainly those Citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who derive their present citizenship from a connection with a former colony etc; many of them will have another citizenship

or nationality.

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