TNAG-2194-FCO40-3131-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-1990 — Page 134

CA5.1

DRAFT

NEWS RELEASE

Thursday 5 April 1990

BRITISH NATIONALITY (HONG KONG) BILL

The Government hase today published the British

Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill which would provide for

the grant of British citizenship to up to 50,000

selected key people in Hong Kong and their dependants.

A copy of the Bill is attached together with an Explanatory Note by the Home Office.

Commenting on the Bill the Home Secretary said:

"This legislation is designed to ensure that

confidence in Hong Kong is maintained as we move

closer to 1997, when the territory reverts to Chinese

rule: Sovereignty

It is clear that emigration from Hong Kong is deeply unsettling and this measure is needed now.

The Bill provides for granting British citizenship to 50,000 people in occupations which are essential to the continued good running and prosperity of Hong

Kong. Individuals from a wide range of occupations

will be eligible.

The Bill provides for the detailed selection procedure

to be brought forward later for Parliament to approve,

but the Government a publishing today an explanation

of the scheme it has in mind.

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This scheme, which is based on proposals originally

put forward by the Hong Kong Government, takes account

of the different extent to which various groups of

people in Hong Kong are emigrating, and is largely

based on a points system designed to make

selection procedure as objective as possible.

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