CONFIDENTIAL
WH E PAPER ON A NEW BRITISH NATIONALITY LAW
The White Paper published on ... supersedes the consultative Green Paper (published in 1977) which discussed various options regarding a new nationality law and invited views and comments from interested parties. Having considered those views, the Government have published the White Paper, which indicates the provisions they propose to introduce in a Bill to Parliament in the near future. A copy of the White Paper is available at this Embassy/..............for your reference but the questions and answers below may help to answer any points you have regarding your own position if the Government's proposals for a new nationality law are accepted by Parliament.
1. How would the proposed Bill affect the present system of citizenship?
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Under the present law there is only one citizenship, that is citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC). It does not identify separately those who derive their citizenship from a connection with the United Kingdom and those who derive their citizenship from a connection with a dependency or former dependency. It is proposed to replace this with three separate citizenships British Citizenship for those with a qualifying connection with the United Kingdom, British Dependent Territories Citizenship for those with a qualifying connection with a dependent territory and British Overseas Citizenship for those CUKCS without such qualifying connections. Every person who has CUKC status at present would acquire at least or of these new citizenships; no CUKC would be left without a citizenship as a result of the new law. Details of those with a qualifying connection with the UK or a Dependent Territory are given at 4 and 5
below.
2. What would be the effect of the new law on people's right of abode under the Immigration Act 1971?
British Citizens would have the right of abode in the United Kingdom. Those who are not CUKCs now but who have the right of abode under the Act would retain that right during their life time.
3.
What would be the position of those foreign and Commonwealth citizens settled in the United Kingdom who would not become British Citizens?
CONFIDENTIAL
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