TNAG-2158-FCO40-3078-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-Chinese-views-1990 — Page 12

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8.

British

Government

It is in the light of these developments that the

concluded that decisive action is

necessary to stem the tide of emigration by providing those individuals in key sectors of the economy and the

civil service with the confidence to stay in Hong Kong and

to continue to contribute to its economic development and

prosperity. After careful consideration, we have further

concluded that the only way of achieving this objective is

to offer full British citizenship to such people.

9.

We could, instead, have chosen to offer

beneficiaries an open-ended clearance to enter the United

Kingdom, rather than full citizenship. This would have

been a much simpler course in some ways, because it would

not have required the enactment of new primary

legislation. It would have made the parliamentary

procedures significantly easier.

10.

We were concerned, however, that this approach

might not

not provide those concerned with the necessary

degree of assurance, given the widespread fear that such a

scheme might be rescinded by a future government, and that

they might therefore be inclined to move to Britain,

thereby undermining the whole objective of the scheme.

The grant of full citizenship has the very significant

advantage that it will be secured by Act of Parliament,

and will carry with it a statutory right of abode in the

4

G.F. 316

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