TNAG-1190-FCO40-1492-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 76

12. My rt hon Friend the llome Secretary referred to this pledge

during the Second Reading of the British Nationality Bill on

28 January last year. He said

"On the Falkland Islands, I want to say this.

In December 1979,

following the publication of the White Paper on the revision

of the immigration rules, my hon Friend the Minister of State,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, sent a message to the people

of the Falkland Islands assuring them that in the event of an

emergency the problems of any islander who did not possess the

right of abode in the United Kingdom and who was in trouble at

that time would be most carefully and sympathetically considered.

In the light of the concern recently expressed on behalf of the

islanders, I wish to reaffirm that in such circumstances they can

depend upon the most sympathetic consideration of their position".

13. My Lords, this assurance was repeated at all appropriate stages

of the Bill. The promise was kept when, at the outbreak of the

conflict with Argentina, my rt hon Friend the Home Secretary announced

on 8 April that no Falkland Islander would have any difficulty over

admission to the United Kingdom whether he had the right of abode or

not. That remains the position.

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