CONFIDENTIAL
05.6350.
MDHOAN 8091
NATIONALITY
18.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD OFFER ASSURANCES TO KEY PERSONNEL IN CERTAIN SPECIFIC CATEGORIES (PARAGRAPH 4.19), THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY ANNOUNCED ON 20 DECEMBER 1989 THAT THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSED TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO GIVE BRITISH CITIZENSHIP TO 50,000 KEY PEOPLE AND THEIR DEPENDANTS, WITHOUT THEIR HAVING TO LEAVE THE TERRITORY IN ORDER TO QUALIFY. THE BRITISH NATIONALITY (HONG KONG) BILL WAS PUBLISHED ON 4 APRIL AND
HAD ITS SECOND READING ON 19 APRIL. DETAILS OF HOW THE SELECTION SCHEME MIGHT OPERATE WERE SET OUT IN AN EXPLANATORY NOTE WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN LAID BEFORE THE HOUSE.
19.
AS THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED, THE GOVERNMENT HAVE TAKEN EVERY AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK TO PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR HONG KONG (PARAGRAPH 4.15). HONG KONG IS AN INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, WITH HUGE INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT AND ITS MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS HAVE A STRONG INTEREST IN ITS CONTINUING
STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. SOME COUNTRIES, OF THEIR OWN VOLITION, HAVE ALREADY FOUND WAYS TO GIVE HONG KONG PEOPLE ASSURANCES WITHOUT THEIR HAVING TO LEAVE THE TERRITORY AND WE HAVE ENCOURAGED OTHERS TO DO SO. SINGAPORE HAS ALREADY INTRODUCED A SCHEME TO GIVE PERMANENT RESIDENCE STATUS TO UP TO 25,000 BLUE COLLAR WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WITHOUT REQUIRING THEM TO LEAVE HONG KONG FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. WITHIN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, FRANCE AND BELGIUM HAVE IMPLEMENTED SCHEMES TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT OF ENTRY TO EMPLOYEES OF FRENCH AND BELGIAN COMPANIES AND THEIR
FAMILIES. THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY AND LUXEMBOURG ARE FINALISING SCHEMES OF BROADLY THE SAME NATURE. THE POSSIBILITY
OF NEW IMMIGRATION ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG IS UNDER
CONSIDERATION BY THE US ADMINISTRATION AND THERE HAVE BEEN EXPRESSIONS OF SUPPORT IN THE US CONGRESS, INCLUDING A PROPOSAL THAT THE IMMIGRATION QUOTA FROM HONG KONG SHOULD BE INCREASED TO 20,000 A YEAR AND THAT BENEFICIARIES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DEFER SETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES UNTIL THE YEAR 2002. AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND NEW ZEALAND ARE ALSO EXAMINING THE SCOPE FOR FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THEIR EXISTING IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE MEASURES COULD ADD SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE IMPACT OF OUR SCHEME.
20. WE HAVE NOTED THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS THAT SECTION
4(5) OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981 SHOULD BE USED MORE
GENEROUSLY IN THE FUTURE (PARAGRAPH 4.21). BUT AS THE COMMITTEE THEMSELVES POINTED OUT, THE THEN HOME SECRETARY MADE CLEAR AT THE TIME OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BNA 1981 THAT SECTION 4(5) WAS
INTENDED TO BE USED SPARINGLY. THE GOVERNMENT HAVE DECIDED TO
2
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.