TNAG-0979-FCO40-1198-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 50

Crown Service

CONFIDENTIAL

70. The present law gives the Secretary of State power to naturalise aliens,

and to register Commonwealth Citizens, on the ground of their service to the

Crown. In each case grants of citizenship are at discretion, though until the

British Nationality Act was amended by the Immigration Act 1971 with effect

from 1 January 1973 Commonwealth Citizens had an entitlement to be registered

after 5 years service. The people who acquire Citizenship of the United

Kingdom and Colonies in this way include locally- recruited staff of diplomatic

posts and Service bases overseas, and members of the Armed Forces.

71. The Bill will contain provisions enabling the Secretary of State to

naturalise people as British Citizens on the grounds of Crown Service. It

is not intended to prescribe any fixed period of service. It is envisaged

that grants of Citizenship on these grounds would be made only sparingly.

it would not be right, for example, to make them simply on grounds of a period

of satisfactory service; citizenship, carrying with it the right of abode in the United Kingdom, is not appropriate as a form of emolument.

Citizenship by Virtue of Marriage

72.

The suggestion in the Green Paper that discrimination between the

sexes in nationality matters should be ended has met with general support.

Under the law as it is at present a woman who has at any time been married

to a Citizen or the United Kingdom and Colonies is entitled on application

to be registered as one herself. Men, on the other hand, have no such

entitlement. The Green Paper commented that to give men this entitlement

might have repercussions on immigration, particularly in relation to bogus

marriages; and referred to the practice or other countries in placing

restrictions on the acquisition of citizenship by both husbands and wives.

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