TNAG-1259-FCO40-1599-The-Future-of-Hong-Kong---special-study-by-FCO--August-1982--1983 — Page 49

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Possible Changes

A. Recognition of Chinese Sovereignty with Continuing British

Administration

Citizenship and Nationality

10. The future citizenship and nationality of the people of

Hong Kong would need to be decided in negotiations about a

1 management contract' with the PRC. The options, not all of

them practicable, which might need to be considered are:-

(1) British Dependent Territories Citizenship (BDTC)

At present the roughly 2.5 million citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies without the right of abode in the United Kingdom are due to become British Dependent Territories citizens. It would be possible

for them to retain this status either:-

(a) transitionally (ie all who now have it

would retain it but there would be no new additions); or

(b) indefinitely (ie additional people could

acquire the citizenship through the usual specified connections with Hong Kong, which would still be regarded for nationality purposes as a dependent territory).

Under (b) persons born in Hong Kong after transfer of sovereignty (of a parent who was a BDTC or settled there)

would become BDTCs. This would have attractions, both

for the people of Hong Kong, who would be no worse off

than they are now, and for HMG, who would not have entered

into any new immigration commitment. But there might be

difficulties if the settlement with the PRC implied that

Hong Kong could no longer be regarded as a dependent territory in any meaningful sense (or if the PRC objected specifically to the use of the term 'dependent territory' in this connection). The status of British Dependent Territories Citizen can be altered only by

amending legislation.

/(2)

British Overseas Citizenship

3

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