TNAG-1839-FCO40-2614-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 81

itory.

Residents of Hong Kong have always been free

to come and go as they wish. There is certainly no

question of stopping people leaving Hong Kong and the

Joint Declaration provides for the maintenance of freedom

of movement after 1997.

XII: Nationality

49.

There are currently over 3.25 million Hong Kong residents who are British Dependent Territory Citizens by

virtue of a connection with Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong

will cease to be a British Dependent Territory after 30

June 1997, it will no longer be appropriate for people

who are BDTCs by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong to

be described as such after that date. The Exchange of

Memoranda associated with the Joint Declaration provides

for such people to acquire a new status, which will carry benefits similar to those enjoyed by BDTSC, such as the

entitlement to use a British passport and to receive

British consular protection in third countries.

status will not, however, be transmissible to later

generations.

(Overseas).

The new

The new status is know as British National

50. The Hong Kong Government began issuing passports with the new BN (0) status from 1 July 1987. This was in

order to continue to existing practice of issuing

passports with a 10 year validity and to allow maximum

time for third countries to get used to the new

nationality status. The new BN (0) status will be