TNAG-0980-FCO40-1199-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 239

HKK 34011

RECEIVED IN REGISTEDNEIDENTIAL

19 JUN 1980

DESK OFFICER INDEX

No

pován jy BA, AS

EXTRACT FROM DRAFT WHITE PAPER

NATIONALITY LAW

| REGISTRY

Action Taken

Exco

- Tues Тисо

Watt publication

15.

Next, the Government are impressed with the argument

that positive recogition of the status of the remaining

Dependent Territories should be given in citizenship terms.

They do not think it is really practical to establish

individual citizenships for each of the Dependent Territories;

they vary in size and political organisation. They believe

that a better solution would be to establish a separate

citizenship for the dependencies as a whole; and they would

propose in the Bill that this should be called 'Citizenship

of the British Dependent Territories'

•

EXTRACT FROM BRIEF TO MR ADAMS (POINTS TO MAKE)

DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENSHIP : NOMENCLATURE

The Dependent Territories are generally opposed to the abandonment

of a unitary system of citizenship and see this as distancing them

from the UK. HKG's relations with several of them are currently at

a critical stage and it is therefore essential for us to reassure

them that the proposed Nationality Bill will not affect the

existing relationships. Although FCO accept that we cannot give

them all they wish in the forthcoming Bill, FCO welcome the Home

Office's agreement to re-word the relevant White Paper paragraph

on nomenclature (paragraph 15) which will give the Dependent

Territories the opportunity to comment further before a final

decision is taken.

CONFIDENTIAL