TNAG-1883-FCO40-2674-Visits-by-Lord-Glenarthur--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1989 — Page 130

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 09100OZ FCO

TELNO 85

OF 09092OZ JANUARY 89

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 026/1

K

12

143615

MDHIAN 7764

DIST 7

FROM PAUL, HKD (VISITING)

VISIT OF LORD GLENARTHUR: WIVES AND WIDOWS OF EX-SERVICEMEN

WE ARE FAXING TO YOU AN ARTICLE ON SECTION 4(5) BY BERNARD FONG

AND THE EDITITORIAL, BOTH OF WHICH APPEARED IN THE SCMP OF 9

JANUARY.

2. IN VIEW OF THE EVIDENT DEPTH OF FEELING IN OMELCO ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, WE HAVE BEEN GIVING FURTHER THOUGHT TO WHAT LORD GLENARTHUR

MIGHT SAY TO OMELCO ON 10 JANUARY. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS AND THOSE OF THE HOME OFFICE, WE PROPOSE TO RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING LINE:

-

THE NUMBERS INVOLVED ARE VERY SMALL: ABOUT 30 WIVES OR WIDOWS IN

ALL

UNFORTUNATELY CHANGES TO THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT WOULD BE

NECESSARY IN ORDER TO ENABLE SUCH PEOPLE TO OBTAIN BRITISH

CITIZENSHIP WITHOUT FULFILLING THE STATUTORY RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT.

BUT THERE MAY BE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN HELP IN INDIVIDUAL CASES BY

USING THE FLEXIBILITY AVAILABLE WITHIN THE IMMIGRATION RULES AS REGARDS SETTLEMENT (ALTHOUGH I RECOGNISE THAT SETTLEMENT IS NOT WHAT IS REQUIRED IN EVERY CASE).

IF MEMBERS COULD PROVIDE ME WITH DETAILS OF INDIVIDUALS CASES I

WILL ENSURE THAT EACH ONE IS LOOKED AT CAREFULLY AND SYMPATHETICALLY.

3. THE LAST POINT IS THE KEY, IF, AS I ASSUME IS THE CASE, WE CANNOT GIVE A BLANKET UNDERSTANDING ABOUT SETTLEMENT FOR WIDOWS, LORD GLENARTHUR MUST AT THE LEAST BE ABLE TO SAY THAT ANY APPLICATIONS

WILL BE LOOKED AT SYMPATHETICALLY.

4 ON THE QUESTION OF WELFARE BENIFITS FOR PEOPLE ADMITTED TO THE UK FOR SETTLEMENT, WE PROPOSE THAT LORD GLENARTHUR SHOULD TAKE THE FOLLOWING LINE:

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