TNAG-0979-FCO40-1198-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 73

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are, however, a number of citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies about 200,000 mostly in Malaysia, India and Africa who, deriving their status from former dependencies, have no such rights. (The numbers in East Africa are declining as a result of admission here under the special voucher scheme which the Government intend to continue.) Then there are thought to be some 3 million citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies (1 million in this country) with dual nationality who are exempt from United Kingdom immigration control, and a further 1.3 million (mostly in Malaysia) who are subject to such control. Many of those citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies without rights of entry to either the United Kingdom or a dependency are well established in their countries of residence even when they do not have dual citizenship. Finally, it should be added that there are believed to be about 250,000 British Subjects without Citizenship, and over 140,000 British Protected Persons; nearly all of these people are living abroad and are subject to immigration control. About 140,000 Irish citizens have made formal claims under section 2 of the 1948 Act to remain British subjects (see paragraph 3 above).

The present situation

11. The Act of 1948 reflected the situation of the United Kingdom at that time. The country was still an Imperial power; it had direct responsibility for very large populations in Colonial territories. The

status of British subject, held by all who had links with the Commonwealth, still seemed meaningful and relevant. The speed at which Colonial territories were to become independent was not then generally apparent. Women's status lagged considerably behind that of men. All these things have changed, and the cumulative effect of the changes has been that the citizenship laws of the United Kingdom no longer accurately define those who have the normal attributes of citizenship. This in turn leads to considerable uncertainty and misunderstanding, both at home and overseas, about the United Kingdom's

obligations to its citizens.

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