CONFIDENTIAL
MR LENNOX BOYD'S VISIT TO INDIA 21-26 SEPTEMBER
HONG KONG
Points to make (but only if raised)
Nationality package and international support
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File
332
fat Int support
HKD 340/1
RECEIVED
06 SEP 1990
DESK OFFIC.
INDEX
NA
PA
As you know, the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act is designed to help improve confidence in the territory by granting full British citizenship to a maximum 50,000 heads of household without their having to leave Hong Kong.
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Special provisions have already been made for anyone in the Indian community who would otherwise be stateless to
receive British Overseas Citizenship for two generations
beyond 1997.
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An assurance was also given in Parliament in 1986 to treat
with sympathy the case for admission to UK of any solely British national who came under pressure to leave Hong Kong.
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The Government have concluded that it would not be right
to give the minorities automatic citizenship under the Hong Kong Act but they would be welcome as anyone else to apply; each application will be treated on its merits.
- We have been asking friends in the international community
to follow our lead in granting assurances to selected Hong Kong people. India could help if it were to grant citizenship (or at least right of entry) to some Hong Kong Indians without requiring them to leave Hong Kong in order
to qualify. (Understand that there are some 3,000 members
of the Indian community who do not already hold other
passports).
SUYANU/1
CONFIDENTIAL
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