TNAG-1190-FCO40-1492-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 66

H

If it

used, it seems important to restate the Government's

objections in principle to Lord Bruce's amendment.

is passed it will then be apparent that Parliament and

not the Government were responsible.

5. The granting of British citizenship to all Falkland

Islanders would be seen as concrete proof of HMG's commit-

ment to the Islands and would be widely welcomed there and

in the UK. It would affect only very few people

J

some

400 - and would thus not lead to fears of uncontrolled

immigration into the UK. However, it would also undermine

a basic concept of BNA 1981 that British citizenship (BC)

(which carries the right of abode in the United Kingdom)

is confined to persons with a close UK connexion.

Dependent Territories citizenship (BDTC) will be held by

those with similarly close ties with one or more of the

dependencies.

6.

British

Despite strong lobbying from a number of dependent

territories, notably Hong Kong, the FCO has consistently

opposed any legislation which would confer British citizen-

ship (BC) solely by virtue of a connexion with a dependency.

The Government also opposed the amendment to the Act under

which Gibraltarians, while not automatically acquiring

BC status, will have the entitlement to register as BC, but

this amendment was finally carried in Parliament.

1

Section

5 of the Act does not give special treatment to Gibraltarians

by name, however, but only in as much as they fall to be

treated as UK nationals for European Community purposes.

It can therefore be defended as unique, being applicable

to our only dependency in Europe. The Falkland Islands

have no link with the European Community to justify special

treatment.

17.