SECRET
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
SECRET
HKC340/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 26 MAR 1990
PECI
Mohon Taxer
LG HONG KONG
Pa
77
10741
MDHOAN 5580
lipolity
DESK OFFICER
TELNO 622
INDEX
AA
OF 211835Z MARCH 90
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP
MIPT: UK NATIONALITY SCHEME: BRIEFING THE CHINESE
DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE (B) AS FOLLOWS:
REASON FOR OUR CHOOSING TO OFFER CITIZENSHIP RATHER THAN ENTRY
CLEARANCES
1.
WE COULD HAVE CHOSEN TO OFFER BENEFICIARIES UNDER OUR SCHEME AN ENTRY CLEARANCE RATHER THAN FULL CITIZENSHIP. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH SIMPLER FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, SINCE WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT RECOURSE TO PRIMARY LEGISLATION. IT WOULD HAVE MADE THE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES SIGNIFICANTLY EASIER.
2.
AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. HOWEVER. WE OPTED FOR THE CITIZENSHIP ROUTE, BECAUSE IT WAS CLEAR THAT ONLY CITIZENSHIP WOULD PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF KEEPING BENEFICIARIES IN HONG KONG. IF THEY WERE GIVEN AN ENTRY CLEARANCE, THEY WOULD BE MUCH MORE INCLINED TO GO TO BRITAIN AND SETTLE THERE IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR CITIZENSHIP AFTER THE NORMAL RESIDENTIAL PERIOD (5
YEARS).
3
ONE PARTICULAR REASON WHY ENTRY CLEARANCES ALONE WOULD NOT COMMAND SUFFICIENT CONFIDENCE WAS THAT MANY HONG KONG PEOPLE FEARED THAT THIS FORM OF ASSURANCE MIGHT BE RECINDED BY A FUTURE GOVERNMENT. FULL CITIZENSHIP, ONCE GRANTED, COULD NOT BE RECINDED. A PASSPORT ONCE ISSUED, COULD NOT BE WITHDRAWN
WITHOUT GOOD REASON.
4.
WE APPRECIATE THAT CITIZENSHIP CREATES PARTICULAR DIFFICULTIES FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. BUT WE HOPE THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WILL UNDERSTAND THAT OUR ONLY MOTIVATION IN OPTING FOR THE CITIZENSHIP ROUTE WAS TO DEVISE A SCHEME WHICH ACHIEVED ITS OBJECTIVE THAT OF KEEPING KEY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE.
HURD
A
AS
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