TNAG-1751-FCO40-2471-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 52

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British citizenship for Hong Kong investors

Recognise valuable contribution Hong Kong businessmen can make to

UK by investment. But we cannot legally grant citizenship as a

reward or as an honour. Anyone who wishes to become a British

citizen must meet the statutory requirements of the British Nationality Act 1981. Two main requirements are:

-applicants for naturalisation should be free of immigration

time restrictions (i.e. they should have been granted settlement here) on date of their application;

and they should have been here on the date exactly 5 years

before they apply for citizenship.

Government have no power to set these requirements aside.

We can be flexible about amount of time businessmen can be out of

the country during 5 year period, but we must still be satisfied

that applicant has been here enough to show that he has genuinely

made UK his home.

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