TNAG-0979-FCO40-1198-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 56

CONFIDENTIAL

requiring them to renounce it.

91.

Accordingly, the Government do not propose in the Bill to introduce

any restriction on the holding of other citizenships in addition to

British Citizenship.

Resumption of Citizenship

92. Under the present law certain persons who have formally renounced

citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies as a condition of acquiring

or retaining the citizenship of a Commonwealth country have an entitlement

to resume their citizenship, on application. The Government think it right

to widen this provision by applying it to people who in future have to renounce

British citizenship in order to obtain or keep the citizenship of a foreign

country. In making this proposal the Government have in mind particularly

the people who wish to acquire their foreign or Commonwealth spouse's

nationality but who, if the marriage breaks down, would wish to return to

the United Kingdom; and also those people who have settled overseas and have

obtained the citizenship of other countries to assist them in their careers,

but who would wish to return to the United Kingdom on retirement.

93. The Bill will therefore preserve the entitlement to resume citizenship

for those people who have it now under the present law, and will provide also

that a British citizen who in future is required to renounce British citizen-

ship in order to acquire or retain another citizenship, shall have an entitle-

ment to resume British Citizenship. The Secretary of State will have dis-

cretion to allow a person who renounced his British citizenship for any other reasons to resume it. A person who resumes citizenship will be a British

Citizen by birth, descent or grant according to the way he formerly held it.

The entitlement to resume citizenship under this provision is to be exercised

once only.

Renunciation of Citizenship

94.

The Bill will contain provision enabling a British Citizen to renounce

his citizenship if he either possesses, or is about to acquire, another one.

The provision will be on the same lines as that contained in the present law.

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