CONFIDENTIAL
GRS 650
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 28113OZ FCO
TELNO 1265
OF 281015Z APRIL 86
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
vr 00
нии знак
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
30 APR 1986
621
GLO
NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL.:
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
TEXT OF DRAFT SPEECH IS AS FOLLOWS
QUOTE
AT THE MEETING OF THIS COUNCIL ON 15 JANUARY, I UNDERTOOK TO
INFORM MEMBERS AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT'S
RESPONSE TO THE THREE REQUESTS WHICH THEY HAD MADE IN RELEATION TO
THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986.
2. ON 23 APRIL, THE HOME SECRETARY IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION GAVE THE RESPONSE OF HER MAJESTY'S
GOVERNMENT TO THOSE REQUESTS AND A COPY OF THAT RESPONSE IS
LAID ON THE TABLE TODAY.
3. PUBLIC REACTION IN THE PAST FEW DAYS INDICATES THE WARM WELCOME GIVEN BY THE COMMUNITY TO HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT'S REPLY TO THE FIRST TWO REQUESTS RELATING TO THE ENDORSEMENT TO BE PLACED IN THE NEW PASSPORT AND TO FORMER SERVICEMEN WHO SERVED IN THE
DEFENCE OF HONG KONG.
4. FOR THE REASONS SET OUT IN THE WRITTEN REPLY, HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT IS NOT ABLE TO GRANT BRITISH CITIZENSHIP TO THOSE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES' CITIZENS WHO ARE NOT ETHNICALLY CHINESE IF AFTER 1 JULY 1997 THEY WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS. HN RESPECT OF THOSE AFFECTED, THE HOME SECRETARY HAS GIVEN AN ASSURANCE THAT IF THEY WERE IN THE FUTURE TO COME UNDER PRESSURE TO LEAVE HONG KONG, HE WOULD EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY TO CONSIDER SYMPATHETICALLY THEIR CASE FOR ADMISSION TO THE UNITED KINGDOM. THERE HAS BEEN DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THIS THIRD REQUEST HAS NOT BEEN MET AND THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS ON 25 APRIL ECHOES THIS DISAPPOINTMENT. THESE FEELINGS HAVE BEEN CONVEYED TO HER
MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT.
5. SIR, THE DRAFT ORDER IN COUNCIL WILL BE LAID BEFORE PARLIAMENT ON (BLANK) AND WILL BE DEBATED BY BOTH HOUSES. THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ORDER CANNOT BE OVER-EMPHASISED. IT WILL GIVE EFFECT TO THE NATIONALITY PROVISIONS IN THE SCHEDULE TO THE HONG KONG ACT 1985. THE ORDER WILL PROVIDE FOR A NEW NATIONALITY STATUS, THE BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) STATUS, TO BE ACQUIRED BY HONG KONG BDTCS IF
CONFIDENTIAL
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