54.
Despite the outflow, the overall stock of skilled and
professional people in the community continues to grow, mainly
because of the increasing numbers of newly qualified people who
enter the job market from the universities and other tertiary institutions. The overall impact of emigration on the economy is not yet serious, although shortages of skilled personnel are being
experienced by some companies in certain sectors. The Hong Kong Government are however concerned about the impact on the economy if
the present net outflow were to continue for some years. They are
therefore planning a series of measures designed to contain the effects of emigration, such as more emphasis on training in the areas where there are shortages of skilled people. They are also
seeking to make Hong Kong a more attractive place for people to live
and work, by steadily improving the standard and quality of life in the territory. 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 this freedom of movement after 1997.
XII:
Nationality
55. There are currently over 3.28 million Hong Kong residents who
are British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTCs) 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 British
Memorandum associated with the Joint Declaration provides for such people to acquire a new status, which will carry benefits similar to those enjoyed by BDTCs, such as the entitlement to use a British passport and to receive British consular protection in third countries. The new status will not, however, be transmissible to later generations. The British Nationality (Hong Kong) Order 1986, which was fully debated in Parliament, created the new status of
British National (Overseas) (BN(O)).
56.
The Hong Kong Government began issuing passports in the new BN (0) status from 1 July 1987. This was in order to continue the existing practice of issuing passports with a 10 year validity and
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