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be seen to be attempting to block a potential route to a foreign right of abode for Hong Kong people. The waters have been muddied somewhat by reports on other channels that Bossano is pursuing a separate scheme to provide Portuguese citizenship for Hong Kong people (via Gibraltar) by means of
corrupt payments to an allegedly accommodating Minister in
the Portuguese Government.
3. If Bossano is able to confirm that Hong Kong people may avail themselves of the offer of right of residence without
leaving Hong Kong (and bearing in mind that we know no more
of the details of the scheme than Bossano told
Mr Garel-Jones on 11 September) it would seem that the scheme on offer would broadly meet Hong Kong's requirements. But there is another consideration; it would be open to Hong
Kong people who took up the offer to move to Gibraltar, to
naturalise as Gibraltar British Dependent Territories citizens: as in the UK, this process takes five years
overall. But those who were already Hong Kong BDTCs would need to wait until 1997 when this form of nationality would lapse. As Gibraltar BDTCS they would then also have an
automatic right to register as a British citizen under Section 5 of the British Nationality Act 1981. This could
be interpreted as breaching the 50,000 limit on our
nationality package, as it were by the back door. We are
looking into precisely what powers we would have if we wished to dissuade Gibraltar from pursuing such a scheme. Mere rights of residence would seem to be a matter which
falls within the competence of the Government of Gibraltar.
However, grant of BDTC status is a different issue and we shall need to look further into the implications. Meanwhile
it would be useful to learn in more detail what Mr Bossano
has in mind.
Hong Kong Government have been consulted and the line to
take reflects their views.
4.
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