TNAG-0980-FCO40-1199-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 202

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IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE SETTLED HERE AND HAVE ACQUIRED CUKC. AFTER

ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE NEW ACT THE MAIN PROVISION FOR ACQUISITION

OF CITIZENSHIP, AS AT PRESENT, WOULD BE BASED ON BIRTH IN THE UK.

CITIZENSHIP WOULD NOT BE TRANSMITTED BEYOND THE FIRST GENERATION

BORN OVERSEAS EXCEPT IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES. BRITISH CITIZENS

WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK.

5.

THERE WOULD BE A SEPARATE CITIZENSHIP CALLED CITIZENSHIP OF

THE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES (CBDT) FOR THOSE CUKCS WHO HAD

THE ABOVE MENTIONED CONNECTIONS WITH AN EXISTING DEPENDENCY.

AFTER THE NEW ACT COMES INTO FORCE THE PROVISIONS FOR ACQUISITION

OF THIS CITIZENSHIP WILL BE BROADLY SIMILAR TO THOSE FOR THE

ACQUISITION OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP. THE RIGHT OF ENTRY TO A

DEPENDENCY WOULD BE RESTRICTED TO THOSE BRITISH DEPENDENT

TERRITORIES CITIZENS WHO ARE SUCH BY REASON OF A CONNECTION WITH

THAT DEPENDENCY.

6.

THERE WILL BE A THIRD CITIZENSHIP FOR THOSE CUKCS WHO DO NOT

ACQUIRE ONE OF THE OTHER TWO CITIZENSHIPS. BRITISH OVERSEAS

CITIZENS WOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN ANY BRITISH

TERRITORY. NONE OF THEM HAVE HAD THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK SINCE THE 1960S. BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO

TRANSMIT THEIR CITIZENSHIP.

ADDITIONAL POINTS

7.

WITH ONE SMALL SPECIALISED EXCEPTION (SOME CHILDREN WHO WERE

BORN STATELÈSS AND ILLEGITIMATE OVERSEAS TO CUKC MOTHERS HAVE

BECOME CUKCS BY A PROCESS OF REGISTRATION WHICH MADE THEM PATRIAL

EVEN THOUGH THEIR MOTHERS WERE NOT, AND IT IS PROPOSED THAT THEY SHOULD ACQUIRE WHICHEVER CITIZENSHIP THEIR MOTHERS ACQUIRE UNDER THE NEW ACT), ALL PRESENT PATRIAL CUKCS WILL BECOME BRITISH CITIZENS. WITH THE SAME EXCEPTION NOBODY WHO HAS A RIGHT OF

ABODE IN THE UK OR A DEPENDENCY SHOULD LOSE IT BY VIRTUE OF THIS

ACT. THOSE COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS WHO THOUGH NOT CUKCS ARE PATRIAL

WILL HAVE THEIR RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK PRESERVED FOR THEIR

LIFETIME. OTHER COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS AND FOREIGN NATIONALS

LAWFULLY SETTLED IN THE UK WILL NOT BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED UNDER

THE IMMIGRATION LAWS. FURTHERMORE THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE

THE SPECIAL VOUCHER SCHEME UNCHANGED FOR THOSE UNITED KINGDOM

/PASSPORT HOLDERS

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CONFIDENTIAL