TNAG-1568-FCO40-2134-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 120

That

Declaration.

guaranteed

to

of abode in Hong Kong, which is where they say they want to live.

is right

them under the terms of the Joint

Non-ethnic Chinese BDTCs in Hong Kong will,

in Hong Kong will, like other BDTCS, be entitled to acquire BN (0) status. If they do not, or if for some other reason they would become stateless in 1997, they will become British Overseas Citizens (BOC) in 1997. The two subsequent

also become BOCS if generations

they

unpopular

stateless.

may

These

arrangements

are

would

with

otherwise

the

be

ethnic

minorities in Hong Kong. While the issue is now less sensitive than when the Order in Council was made in June, pressure may very well

recur

for HMG to

minorities.

BN(0) Campaign

4.

During the

Ministers

gave

campaign to

grant

British

citizenship

to the

ethnic

Parliamentary

assurances

debates

that HMG

on the

would

Order in Council,

mount

an

recognition of

the

effective

BN (0)

wide secure

international

passport. An equally important objective is to secure at least the

same

of ease

access

to

other countries for

for people holding BN (0)

passports as they now have with BDTC passports.

5. The campaign is now on the point of being launched, after close consultation between FCO departments and the Home Office.

CONFIDENTIAL

Page 120Page 121

Mr Williams, UND

Michail