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THE PURPOSE OF THE SCHEME
The Government's objective is to ensure the continued prosperity and good government of Hong Kong. This is being threatened by a haemorrhage of talent from the colony. Increasing numbers of people in Hong Kong are leaving the territory, or contemplating leaving, in order to gain the security of a foreign passport.
They include business people, experienced managers, engineers, teachers and medical professionals - those on whom the territory's future success depends. They are ethnic Chinese and would prefer to remain in Hong Kong while at the same time holding a foreign passport as a means of escape if confidence there collapsed.
But they cannot normally qualify for a foreign passport while continuing to live, work and invest in Hong Kong. At the moment, the only way for them to get that assurance is to leave Hong Kong and emigrate to a country like Canada or Australia, where their skills and experience are in demand. The outflow of talented people from the colony puts at risk both the competitiveness of Hong Kong's economy and the efficiency and authority of her public service.
British companies operating in Hong Kong have urged the Government to seek changes in our immigration and nationality laws to encourage key employees to remain in the colony. The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, reporting on Hong Kong last June, recommended unanimously that assurances should "be provided to a significant number of Hong Kong BDTCs in key positions" (HC 281-1, para 4.19).
The massacre in Tiananmen Square aggravated concern in Hong Kong about the future. Although the Government had made it plain that Britain could not grant the right of abode to millions of Hong Kong people, Ministers pledged to introduce a scheme to help a limited number of people in both the public and private sectors.
"We have said that we are prepared to consider ways of obtaining greater flexibility under the present rules to allow an increasing number of people to come to this country under the several different limbs of the immigration rules and the British Nationality Act 1981. We shall consider that matter carefully in the coming days and, if need be, come_to_the House if we need additional powers". The Prime Minister, 8 June 1989 (Hansard, Vol 154, Col 365).
And so the Foreign Secretary, Mr Douglas Hurd, announced that the Government intended to bring forward legislation to provide a scheme to offer 50,000 Hong Kong residents British citizenship, in a statement to the House of Commons on 20 December 1989.
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