TNAG-1189-FCO40-1491-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 178

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH

Telephone 01- 213 3794

72

munad f.i.

29/7

#29

Your reference NTY/79 1036/0/18

Our reference GNN 340/1(13)

ник 3401

I

Date

28 July 1982

Mr M J Addison Home Office Apollo House Croydon

Fra James

DES

FS

Pam

11

Sie C

FALKLAND ISLANDERS AND BRITISH CITIZENSHIP

1 Thank you for your letter of 22 July about what Government spokesmen should say in Parliament if interest in the citizenship of Falkland Islanders continues to be shown.

2 I have discussed this with South American Department and with Hong Kong and General Department. SAmD have not yet formed a view, HKGD have restated their position and West Indian and Atlantic

舀 Department have chipped in. This does not yet add up to a FCO line, but I am enclosing copies of Dick Clift's and John Edwards' B minutes of 26 July as we shall draw on them if we are required to submit to Ministers (which seems probable in view of Mr Onslow's recent expressionsters interest). recent expressions of interest).

3 The Nationality and Treaty Department view which we would put up at some time is that while uniformity of British Dependent Territories Citizenship is likely to erode over the years we do not want to accelerate the process - and we would in particular wish to postpone for as long as possible any amendment of the Act. Once the process was allowed to start it might be hard to keep in check, and we have quite enough to do in implementing the legislation as it stands.

4

But whatever we officials may recommend it is the Parliamentary factor that will weigh with Ministers. There may have to be a balancing off between the awkwardness of publicly refusing citizenship to some of the Islanders and the risk of starting to unravel BDTC. If as time goes on this seems likely to be a lively subject in the autumn perhaps we might propose that some of our Ministers should meet to discuss it. Please give me a ring if at any point you would like to follow this up.

blind cc to: KGD, SAMD,

WIAD, SPD,

SED, Mr Campbell

jouno

Chino toplen

C J Howells

PS

D

|

Nationality and Treaty Department

A comment from Robin Fearn, SAmD, has just come in and is also enclosed.

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