those Chinese naționals who hold British travel documents
Inue to use them after 30 June 1997. (Such
may co
persons will not of course be entitled to British
consular protection in the Hong Kong SAR or in other
parts of China.)
This
56. Neither the BDTC passport nor the BN (O) passport
confers upon the holder the right of abode in the United
Kingdon (although he is entitled to enter this country
without a visa for visits of up to three months).
position was confirmed in the British Nationality Act of
1981, which in turn reflected earlier immigration and nationality law as approved by Parliament in various laws
dating back to the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962.
is therefore not a new phenomenon, but one which dates
back over 25 years.
It
57. The present situation is accepted by most Hong Kong
people. It is well understood in the territory that any
change in their status would require a change in the
British Nationality Act, which was endorsed (as was
earlier legislation on the subject) by the British
Parliament of the day. There have nevertheless been some
calls for Hong Kong passport holders to be given right of abode in the United Kingdom. The Government do not
believe that it would be sensible, or acceptable to
Parliament, to give over 3 million people the right to enter this, country, even if the majority had no intention
.
of exercising this right. Such a move could be
interpreted as a vote of no confidence in Hong Kong's
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