TNAG-1561-FCO40-2125-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 6

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ARE SETTLED HERE UNDER THE IMMIGRATION RULES. (SETTLEMENT IS

USUALLY GRANTED TO BUSINESSMEN AFTER 4 YEARS IN THIS COUNTRY, AND

MAY BE GRANTED EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE SPENT ONLY PART OF EACH YEAR

IN THE UNITED KINGDOM WITH THE REST ON BUSINESS ABROAD.) IN THIS

CASE THE INDIVIDUALS COULD BE GRANTED BRITISH CITIZENSHIP NOW

ONLY IF THE HOME SECRETARY WERE PREPARED TO OFFER IMMEDIATE

SETTLEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT THE 4 YEAR QUALIFYING PERIOD

AND TO ACCEPT THAT THE PEOPLE NEED HAVE SPENT NO APPRECIABLE TIME

HERE IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. IN THE HOME SECRETARY'S VIEW, TO DO

THIS WOULD BE TO USE HIS POWERS IN A WAY DIRECTLY CONTRARY TO THE

MANNER IN WHICH MINISTERS ANNOUNCED IN 1981 THAT THEY INTENDED TO

USE THEM. IT WOULD THEREFORE BE NECESSARY TO EXPLAIN PUBLICLY WHY HE WAS TAKING SUCH ACTION AND THIS WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO

JUSTIFY.

3.

THE HOME OFFICE LETTER NOTES THAT IT COULD CAUSE

CONSIDERABLE CONTROVERSY TO ACCEDE TO MR SANDBERG'S REQUEST

'PARTICULARLY AS THE HOME SECRETARY CONSIDERS IT RIGHT TO

CONTINUE TO RESIST THE STRONGLY PRESSED CLAIMS OF SOME 11,000

BDTCS WHO ARE NOT ETHNICALLY CHINESE WHO WANT TO BECOME BRITISH CITIZENS'. IT ADDS THAT IT MIGHT IN PRACTICE ALSO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH CLEARLY, IN TERMS RELEVANT TO THE NATIONALITY PROVISIONS, BETWEEN THESE LARGE GROUPS AND THE PEOPLE MR SANDBERG HAS IN MIND, AND THAT 'WE COULD BE ACCUSED OF GIVING A PRIVILEGE TO RICH MEN WHO DO NOT WANT TO THROW IN THEIR LOT WITH BRITAIN BY LIVING HERE, AND DENYING IT TO POOR MEN WHO DO'.

4.

THE LETTER SUGGESTS THAT THE HOME SECRETARY SHOULD WRITE TO MR SANDBERG EXPLAINING THE ROUTE AVAILABLE TO THE BUSINESSMEN FOR SETTLEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY PRIOR TO MAKING AN APPLICATION FOR

HE BRITISH CITIZENSHIP, AND SAYING THAT IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, WOULD BE READY TO CONSIDER AS SYMPATHETHICALLY AS POSSIBLE THE

USE OF HIS DISCRETIONARY POWERS.

5.

NO 10 REPLIED TO THE HOME OFFICE ON 18 MARCH SAYING THAT THE PRIME MINISTER FINDS THIS RESPONSE 'UNIMAGINATIVE': THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DEVOTING MUCH EFFORT TO PERSUADE WEALTHY HONG KONG

CHINESE TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR CONFIDENCE IN THE AGREEMENT BY STAYING ON AND MAINTAINING THEIR BUSINESS AND INVESTMENTS, WHEN

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