TNAG-1189-FCO40-1491-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 54

people in the dependent territories but it was essential if the

main aim of the new nationality legislation was to be realised.

That aim was to end the misleading and unsatisfactory situation

whereby people were called citizens of the United Kingdom and

Colonies even though they had no right under our immigration law

to enter the United Kingdom.

6. My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Bruce's Bill would make an

exception for the Falkland Islanders. The Falkland Islands are

only one among 15 dependent territories listed in Schedule 6 of the

Act. But only their inhabitants would automatically become British

citizens as well as British Dependent Territories citizens.

exceptional and preferential treatment is hard to justify.

Such

Before

coming to the objections in principle, however, I ought to mention

briefly the main technical defects of the Bill.

7. Firstly, my Lords, the Bill refers to the Falkland Islands only,

although the dependent territory is described in Schedule 6 as

"Falkland Islands and Dependencies". There might be individual

cases where the distinction between the Falkland Islands and their

dependencies turned out to be significant. I accept that the

dependencies are probably uninhabited for the most part but it cannot

be assumed that they will always remain 60. I suggest that it was a

little careless of the noble Lord to lose them.

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