TNAG-1754-FCO40-2474-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 76

MTHAFE (7)

RESTRICTED

7.

British citizenship for ethnic minorities

There are about 11,500 ethnic minority BDTCs in Hong Kong, who

have no other nationality, and about 60,000 who could apply for

BDTC status. The Government do not think it would be right to

create such a large and uncertain immigration commitment after 1997.

We have fully met undertakings we gave during passage of the Hong

Kong Act, that no former BDTC, nor any children born after 30 June

1997 to such a person, would become stateless as a result of the

Joint Declaration.

Of course we recognise that there is some continuing concern among the ethnic minority BDTCs in Hong Kong. That is why I am happy to repeat our assurance that we should consider it an obligation upon any future government to treat with very

considerable and particular sympathy the case for admission to the

UK of any individual British national who, against all our

expectations, came under pressure to leave Hong Kong. This is a

very clear assurance to the members of the minority community in

Hong Kong.

68

RESTRICTED