CONFIDENTIAL
HMG WILL BE IN BREACH OF UN
CONVENTION
SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS ARE NOT TAKEN CARE OF?
ON STATELESSNESS IF
in a foreign country.
A s
29. It would not be proper as a general principle to grant British
nationality indefinitely and without restrictions. to the descendants
of British nationals resident
I said
during the Committee State, we have however decided that in the case
of second generation children whose grandparents were Hong Kong
BDTCs before 1997, and who would otherwise be stateless, it would be
entitlement to acquire British
right to give them a similar
nationality to that which they would have had under the British
Nationality Act 1981 if their parents and grandparents had remained
BDTCS.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE IN HONG KONG WHO ARE ALREADY STATELESS?
race in Hong
Hong
30. There are 4,500 stateless persons of non-Chinese
Kong. They are mainly Vietnamese and Cambodians who were in
Kong at the fall of Saigon and Phnom-Penh as well as a handful of
other ethnic minorities. The se
persons, although they do not have
the right to reside
unconditonal stay after nine years of residence in Hong Kong. Those
who meet the requirements are eligible to apply for naturalisation
as BDTCs in Hong Kong.
in Hong Kong, have been granted permanent
INSTEAD OF
WHY CAN'T THE 6,000 OR SO ETHNIC INDIANS IN HONG KONG WHO HAVE BDT C
AND NO OTHER NATIONALITY BE GRANTED BRITISH CITIZENSHIP,
THE STATUS OF BN(0)?
31.
Several reasons why this would not be appropriate:-
(a) It would amount to discrimination
in
favour of a section of the
Hong Kong community on ethnic criteria and might well cause friction
between the various communities in Hong Kong.
(b)
The se people are identified with Hong Kong and it would be
contrary to principles of the British Nationality Act
them British citizenship. British citizenship
who are closely identified with the UK.
is for
198 1 to give
those people
(c) No reason to distrust Chinese intention towards the non-ethnic
Chinese
community, and no reason
to suppose pressure on them to
CONFIDENTIAL
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