TNAG-1567-FCO40-2132-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 65

HONG KONG NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL

RIEFING NOTE

FALKLAND ISLANDS

COMPARISON BETWEEN HONG KONG AND FALKLAND ISLANDERS

LINE TO TAKE

DII

1.

Not appropriate to draw a comparison. Over three-quarters of the Falkland

Islands' population of 1,800 automatically became British citizens as well as

British Dependent Territories citizens on 1 January 1983 because they had the

right of abode in the United Kingdom. The remaining 400 or so became British

Dependent Territories citizens only in accordance with the general principles of

the British Nationality Act 1981.

2.

The House will recall that the Act which gave these 400 or so British

citizenship was introduced by my noble friend Baroness Vickers. During the course

of the debates on the Bill the Government made plain its view that it would be

contrary to the principle and intention of the 1981 Act to give a person British

citizenship if their connections were with a dependent territory and not with the

United Kingdom. Thus to give the Falkland Islanders British citizenship even when

their connections lav with the Falkland Islands alone would be contrary to the

logic of the Act. Nevertheless, the Government did not seek to resist the Bill. But we made it very plain that we considered the Falkland Islanders situation to be

unique, and that to grant them British citizenship was not to be taken as a

precedent for other dependent territories.

most of your lordships at the time.

This view was generally accepted by