TNAG-1218-FCO40-1523-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1983 — Page 117

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Citizenship

My right honourable Friend also touched upon the question

The of citizenship of the peoples of our dependent territories. Green Paper published by the previous Government envisaged only two types of citizenship, British Citizenship and British Overseas Citizenship. All persons who held Citizneship of the X United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) by virtue of a connection with a Dependent Territory would have acquired British Overseas Citizenship. In the White Paper this Government, in June 1980, considered this proposal but were impressed by the argument that recognition of the status of Dependent Territories should be given in citizenship terms. In the same way that British Citizenship is acquired by those with a specified link with the United Kingdom, British Dependent Territory Citizenship reflects a connection with a Dependent Territory. Nothing has changed this Government's view that the status of British Dependent Territory Citizenship should remain and that it should apply

[Defensive

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new •

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equally to all dependencies. As Ministers have emphasised on many occasions, the cotubolishment of the new

If the new forms I eitigenah in emitius A no

weaken HMG's commitment to the Dependent Renting way, roma happy

I am happy to repeat that evsovan we As my right honourable Friend has pointed out in the case of Gibraltar an amendment to the British Nationality Bill allows British Dependent Territory Citizens in Gibraltar, which is part of the Economic Community by virtue of Article 227(4) of the

In the Treaty Rome, to register as British Citizens by descent. case of Hong Kong an amendment to the British Nationality Act permits registration for British Dependent Territory Citizens after five years' residence in the United Kingdom and allows discretionary registration of Crown Servants as British

Citizens.]

[Defensive, if raised

My right honourable Friend's suggestion that dependent territories should be integrated into the United Kingdom is not a new one. It has been discussed at one time or another in relation to several of the Dependent Territories, for example Malta in the 1950s, and more recently Seychelles and Gibraltar. The proposals were not followed up, however, because of their