Declaration.
of abode in Hong Kong, which is where they say they want to live.
That right is guaranteed to them under the terms of the Joint
Non-ethnic Chinese BDTCs in Hong Kong will, like other
BDTCS, be entitled to acquire BN (0) status. If they do not, or if
for some other reason they would become stateless in 1997, they will
become British Overseas Citizens (BOC) in 1997. The two subsequent
generations may also become BOCS if they would otherwise be
stateless.
These arrangements are unpopular with the ethnic
minorities in Hong Kong. While the issue is now less sensitive than
when the Order in Council was made in
made in June, pressure may very well
recur for HMG
to grant British citizenship to the ethnic
minorities.
BN (0) Campaign
4. During the Parliamentary debates on the Order in Council,
Ministers gave assurances that HMG would mount an effective campaign to secure wide international recognition of the BN (0) passport. An equally important objective is to secure at least the same ease of access to other countries for people holding BN (0) passports as they now have with BDTC passports.
5.
The campaign is now on the point of being launched, after close consultation between FCO departments and the Home Office.
CONFIDENTIAL
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