TNAG-1081-FCO40-1331-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 102

2.

Can you confirm that what Hong Kong want is

a) to continue to make legal and illegal immigrants wait a full 7 years and before they acquire settled status and during that period to regard them as Chinese citizens, but

b)

to disregard the fact that their Hong Kong-born children are Chinese citizens and to grant CBDT to these children?

If the above is correct would the children have any rights by virtue of their CBDT status?

3.

The questions raised in para 2 above are pertinent because it appears that the Hong Kong Government and Unofficials are closing their eyes to the fact that the children have a nationality at birth Para 7 of the record of the meeting with the Secretary of State on 2 February shows that Mr Cheung raised the problem of the children of immigrants: unfortunately the record does not state the problem. Para 3 of the record of the meeting with the Home Secretary on

6 February shows that Mr Cheung expressed the fear that the children would be stateless. But he appears to have been content with the fact that stateless children were entitled to registration between the ages of 10 and 22 years.

4. As I see it the children will be eligible for registration before the age of 7 years ie when their parent has been in the colony for 7 years and himself becomes settled. But registration as CBDT will not take away their Chinese citizenship. So just what is the problem and how are we to explain it in Parliament?

A

E

5 March 1981

Matin.

HM PATERSON

Nationality & Treaty Department