TNAG-1189-FCO40-1491-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 41

DSR 11C

The Prime

Minista is

to visit

A

Any Kny September.

as

in

destroying the

tasis m

which the

BATC statis

Lad been

established.

Frey would

not

"and reopening

the debat

on their own position.

We would not

окрел

recenly expect their [ to demand

the right Denty

& the UK..

tacitly abandoned the concept of BDTC and make us vulnerable

to pressure for similar treatment from other dependent

territories, who would be confirmed in their - unfounded

suspicion that BDTC was a 'second class' citizenship.

Helena would press its case for integration with the UK or

for unrestricted entry, and relations with Caribbean

dependencies and Bemuda would be aggravated.

8.

St

In particular any variation could well prejudice thre relations with Hey Kory of

is fi-visite

discussions when The Prime Minister visits Hong Kong and

Poking in September Hong Kong have themselves campaigned

the retention of CURC

vigorously for status for their two and a half million

J retain ment

present states! They would undoubtedly Citizens of the UK and Colonies and

nies

regard

the

exploit any situation which granted preferential treatment

to the Falkland Islanders. Any such concession to Heng

Аля Kong could have serious immigration consequences for the UK

in the context of possible changes in the status of Hong

Against this background it is vital to view the

Falkland's situation in its proper perspective.

Kong.

9. Some 1,400 Falkland Islanders will automatically become

BCs on 1 January 1983 by virtue of their connections (by

birth, descent, etc) with the UK. The remaining 400 or so

will become BDTCs. On 8 April these people received a

public assurance from the Home Secretary that they would

have no difficulty over admission to the UK whether or not

they had the right of abode. The only comparable assurance

given to future BDTCs in a dependent territory was that made to Gibraltarians at the time of the imposition of the

Spanish frontier restrictions that they would be able to

freely enter the UK. This is an administrative arrangement

without effect on citizenship status.

the less if any consequentral concession followed hack

to Angking

/10.

Never the less of am the & were made it could be seen in Parliament and clowhere as

Lavy →