TNAG-1849-FCO40-2624-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 119

making it easier for large numbers of Hong Kong residents to come to the United Kingdom. Nor could any Government give an open-ended commitment to 34 million people to accept them at any time into the United Kingdom. Provision already exists under the Immigration Rules for those who wish to come to this country to work or engage in business. Those who are able to fulfill the residence requirements of the 1981 Act have an avenue to British citizenship. The Act gives the Home Secretary no power to grant citizenship to people who are not resident in the United Kingdom, except for those in Crown service. who are a special case.