TNAG-1189-FCO40-1491-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 46

PS/Mr Onslow

No

CGE

106

A

messge

24/8

HKK 340 ||

27 AM 781

BRITISH CITIZENSHIP IN THE FALKLANDS ISLANDS

сай

31/8

1.

I am prompted by Mr Clift's minute to you of 19 August to add that there might be objections from other dependent territories besides Hong Kong to any announcement that Falkland Islands citizens would be granted British citizenship on application.

2.

In

St Helena, for example, has long cherished the dream of becoming part of the UK or, failing that, of having the right of unrestricted entry to the UK (and there are persuasive arguments in favour of the latter in St Helena's case). Bermuda and Montserrat are particularly sensitive about their connections with the UK and, as Mr Howells has pointed out in his minute of 19 August, would be con- firmed in their suspicion that BDTC is a second-class citizenship. other Caribbean dependencies, the issue of citizenship may not be regarded as of great importance but there can be little doubt that some of them would allege that favoured treatments for the Falklands meant discrimination against them. This could exacerbate our relations with the more volatile dependencies.

The C Edwane

J C Edwards

West Indian and Atlantic Department WH MZ 38

233 5489

25 August 1982

Cc:

PS/Mr Rifkind

PS/Lord Belstead

Lord N Gordon Lennox

Mr Ure

Mr Donald

Mr Giffard

Mr Fearn

(SAMD)

Mr Mc

Mr Clift (HKGD)

Mr Howells (NTD)

Mr Jackson (Falklands Unit)

SED

X25/3

SPD MVD

Parliamentary Unit

f

J.

260