TNAG-0979-FCO40-1198-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 43

CONFIDENTIAL

51. The Government think it is clearly right that, as indicated in the

Green Paper, women should in future be able to transmit citizenship on equal

terms with men. The ending of this distinction will however lead to there

being large numbers of additional British Citizens, with the right of abode

in the United Kingdom, and this fact must be borne constantly in mind when

considering what the future provisions should be for the passing on of

citizenship to children born overseas.

52. The Government also think that any distinction between births in

Commonwealth and foreign countries (such as is contained in the present

arrangements for transmission by consular registration) can no longer be

justified.

53. The Government do not underestimate the strength of feeling on

citizenship by descent, particularly among families of British origin living

abroad. It has been urged that the right to pass on citizenship indefinitely

to future generations of children by means of registering births at consulates

should be extended to people living in Commonwealth countries. But the result

of doing this would be to increase enormously the pool of British Citizens

living abroad, who, despite having only very tenuous connections with the

United Kingdom, would nevertheless have the right to come and live here,

which they would not have under present legislation. The Government could not

justify extending generally the grant of citizenship by descent without any

limitation on the number of generations to which it would pass.

54.

There has also been much correspondence suggesting a more limited measure

of transmission, for the benefit of people serving abroad in the service of

international organisations and of British based business firms, some of which claim to have a strong 'father and son' tradition of staffing. People who

work abroad in this way make a valued contribution to the United Kingdom's

economic life, and many of them maintain strong connections with this country although spending a great part, or all, of their lives abroad. There are however other people who have emigrated or who have returned to the countries.

from which they or their parents came to the United Kingdom. It is relevant

to bear in mind two points:

*

(a) that in successive generations children born abroad tend to identify themselves more and more with their countries of birth; and after the first generation (or even at an earlier stage) will usually acquire the citizenship of their country of birth;

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