TNAG-1567-FCO40-2132-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 128

that they will become stateless in 1997.

Neither after 1997 should their children,

nor their grandchildren. The provision of British Overseas citizenship for any who would otherwise be stateless because they have not taken up their right to be a British National (Overseas) and the assurances of British Overseas citizenship

for the children and grandchildren of British Dependent Territories citizens fully

meets these commitments.

12.

Our second principle is that we should ensure that people settled in Hong

Kong can continue to have the right to live there. No form of British nationality

can guarantee this after 1997. It has been fully secured, however, through the

agreement with the Chinese. That guarantees rights of abode in Hong Kong for

all non-ethnic Chinese who have made it their permanent home. The agreement is binding in international law and, to make it binding in national law, the provisions

are to be written into a basic law governing the Hong Kong Special Administrative

Region.

13. Our proposals therefore fully meet our commitments to provide all British

Dependent Territories citizens in Hong Kong with the right to a home, with a clear

form of nationality, and with assurances for their children and grandchildren.

14. To go further, and grant British citizenship in the way suggested would take the problem out of the immediate context of Hong Kong and would risk setting up pressures and uncertainties which could only have damaging and undesirable

consequences elsewhere. There are about 2 million British Overseas citizens in

various parts of the world, of whom about 800,000 have that as their only form

of citizenship. We must think of the message they might receive, and the real

doubts and uncertainties which would be raised, if we were to accept that British Overseas citizenship was not adequate for some people in Hong Kong.

15.

We must also take into account the sensible principle of the British Nationality Act which this House approved in 1981 that British citizenship should

reflect a person's close personal links with the United Kingdom. And, since

British citizenship carries with it the right to come and settle in this country,

we must think of our commitment to a fair as well as a firm immigration policy.

There are at present about 11,500 people in Hong Kong who in 1997 might seek

to benefit under the statelessness provisions. But there are about 65,000 others

who are not ethnically Chinese who could at present apply to become British

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