NATIONALITY
STATELESSNESS
A number of Noble Lords have reffered to he problem of statelessness.
As I made clear in my speech a. the beginning of he debate the Government have made their intention clear that no former Hong
Kong BDTC, nor any child born on or after 1 July 1997 to such a person should be made stateless as a result of the arrangemen s envisaged in the Bill.
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made it clear that the proposal that children born after 30 June 1997 to non-Chinese former BDTCs should acquire BOC .. satus automatically at birth if they would otherwise be stateless is intended o apply only to the firs. pos:-1997 generation. I
appreciate that there may be concern abou. po en ial satelessness
arising among subsequen. generations. But I must repeat that in the Government's view it would not be appropriae as a general principle to grant British nationality indefinitely and without restrictions to the descendants of British nationals.
We are
looking a. the question of po.netial s.atelessness amongs. fur.her
genera.ions as a master of urgency. I do no think we can solve
At mce
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hese questions a a stroke, and I suspect that fur her discussions wish the Chinese Governmen. will be necessary.
I appreciate the Bishop of Birmingham's moving speech on his subjec.. But I must say to him that I resen. the suggestion ha HMG's immigra.ion policy is "racialist". I would ask him perhaps if he would consider the implications of granting right of abode to one section of the BDTC community in Hong Kong apparently on
racial criteria.
No comments yet.
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