TNAG-1192-FCO40-1494-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 123

BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981

The British Nationality Act 1981 received Royal Assent on October 30 and is due to come into force on 1 January 1983 (apart from Section 49 which came into force on Royal Assent). The main provisions of the Act are summarised below.

The Act replaces the present citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies by three separate citizenships:

British citizenship for people closely connected with the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of

Man;

British Dependent Territories citizenship for people connected with the dependencies; and

British Overseas citizenship for those citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who do not acquire either of the other citizenships at commencement.

The Act provides for the acquisition and renunciation of these

citizenships, and makes amendments to the Immigration Act 1971

so as to cast the right of abode in terms of the new British citizenship.

BRITISH CITIZENSHIP

All citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who have the

right of abode will acquire British citizenship automatically

at commencement, with the exception of those mentioned in the

footnote.

Footnote: A stateless person who has been registered as a citi-

zen of the United Kingdom and Colonies by virtue of his mother's citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies will acquire whichever of the 3 new citizen- ships his mother does. So those persons who have the right of abode only through their registration but whose mothers become citizens of the British Depen- dent Territories or British Overseas citizens will not become British citizens,

1