TNAG-1557-FCO40-2121-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 18

citizens in Hong Kong, unless they have left Hong Kong permanently

and have the right of abode elsewhere.

17.

The Indian community in particular, with support from the

Executive and Legislative Councils of Hong Kong, argue that the se

provisions

BN (0)

do not go far enough. The y are concerned firstly that

status W ill not

itself give them right of abode in Hong Kong:

this will be a matter for the Chinese Government. And secondly,

they are concerned about the future nationality status of their

descendants after the second generation born after 1997. They have

therefore asked to be granted British citizenship, rather than BN (0)

or BOC status. The Unofficial Members have also asked that s ome 400

or SO former

Hong Kong should be granted British

citizenship, or alternatively that the Government should consider

sympathetically any application they might make for registration as

British citizens under Section 4(5) of the British Nationality Act

1981.

servicemen

in

18.

Kong.

grant

this

that

those BD TC s

who

I shall listen very carefully to all that is said in

debate, but I have to say that the Government i s

not persuaded

it would be right to

to British citizenship

are not ethnically Chinese. They want to continue to live in Hong

The Joint Declaration guarantees their right to do so.

British citizenship cannot help them

in

this regard. British

citizenship cannot after 30 June 1997 give them right of abode in a

territory which will no longer be British. Furthermore, the grant

of British citizenship would not benefit future generations any more

than the present proposals.

British citizenship can be transmitted

to only on e

entitlement

proposed

generation born

abroad.

The second generation has an

to registration

as British

citizens similar to the

After that there is no

entitlement to BOC status.

automatic claim nor entitlement to registration as a British

There is therefore no advantage in terms of avoiding

citizen.

statelessness

securing

generations by conferring

or

future

their future in Hong Kong for

British citizenship on the non-ethnic

(7)