TNAG-1567-FCO40-2132-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 76

TO ASK HMG: HOW MANY HONG KONG BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS MAY BE

LEFT STATELESS IN 1997

DRAFT ANSWER

None.

Under the draft Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order, we propose that all those who are British Dependent Territories citizens by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong will be entitled to become British Nationals (Overseas). They will need to have acquired this nationality by 1 July 1997, or before 31 December 1997 if they were born in the first six months of that year. Any British Dependent Territories citizens who have not become British Nationals (Overseas) by 1 July 1997 and have no other form of citizenship will not be stateless because the draft Order proposes that they should automatically become British Overseas citizens on that date. Both British Overseas citizenship and British National (Overseas) are forms of British nationality which fully meet our international obligations under the 1961 United Nations Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.