TNAG-1566-FCO40-2131-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 17

GRANT OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP TO ALL FORMER SERVICEMEN

B3

WHY WILL THE GOVERNMENT NOT GRANT BRITISH CITIZENSHIP TO ALL FORMER SERVICEMEN?

LINE TO TAKE

There is no provision under the law to enable British citizenship to be granted to all former servicemen without primary legislation.

60 or so are eligible for registration under section 4(5) of the British Nationality Act 1981 because they are or will become British Dependent Territories citizens who fought with local Hong Kong units, such as the Hong Kong Volunteers, and thus under the Government of Hong Kong, as the Act requires.

The remaining 210 are not eligible under this provision, either because they are not and would not become British Dependent Territories citizens, or because they fought with regular British Forces units, and thus under the Government of the United Kingdom. There is no provision whereby British citizenship could be granted to these people, and it is not possible to make such provision under the Order, because that can deal only with statelessness.

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