TNAG-1191-FCO40-1493-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 110

SECRET

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HOME OFFICE

QUEEN ANNE'S GATE

LONDON SWIH 9AT

INTIL

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John

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114/10/ AF14110

HONG KONG PASSPORTS

ips

5. October 1982

PS/Land Belstead

PS/M Miskind Achittad

Nisuald

Ladindan

MVD,

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Lennox

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Sir 1. Jindair

The Prime Minister is to discuss with the Home Secretéry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary the proposal that the term 'British National' should be entered in British passports issued by the Governor of Hong Kong. The Home Secretary thought it might be helpful if I were to let you have in advance of the discussion a brief indication of the objections he sees to the proposal, and why he recommends that it be rejected.

Our present citizenship is citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies. From 1 January 1983, when, as you know, the provisions of the British Nationality Act 1981 come into force, that omnibus citizenship will cease to exist and citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies will become either

a)

b)

British citizens (if their links are with this country); or

British Dependent Territories citizens (if connected with one of our remaining dependent territories);

c) British Overseas citizens.

The 1981 Act does not define the term 'British national', but it is accepted that the holders of all three new citizenships are, and will remain, British nationals.

If the current request from Hong Kong were granted, the Home Secretary sees no basis on which other similar requests could be refused. We should have to agree to enter the term British National in the passports issued to other British Dependent Territories citizens (eg. those in Bermuda) and in passports issued to British Overseas citizens. This last category includes very large numbers of people in Malaysia, and, of more immediate significance, the East African Asians, many of whom are now in India and whom we are being pressed to admit more quickly to this country.

or

A passport is something that people use in order to travel, and the Home Secretary believes that to enter 'British National' in the passports of those who are subject to our immigration control would have two highly undesirable consequences. First,

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