TNAG-2198-FCO40-3152-Hong-Kong-nationality-spouses-and-widows-of-British-expatria-1990 — Page 107

Turning now to the nationality position, the British Nationality

(Hong Kong) Bill provides as you know

the grant of British citizenship to a limited number of key people and their dependants in both the public and private sectors in Hong Kong. We concluded that it would not be right to include as part of this package an amendment to the British Nationality Act 1981 to allow time spent in Hong Kong to count towards the 3 year United Kingdom residence requirement for the spouses of British citizens who wish to acquire British citizenship. The whole basis of the British Nationality Act 1981 is that citizenship, for both men and women, should involve a period of residence in this country. For the spouse of a British citizen that period of residence is 3 years and is designed to ensure that the non-British spouse has some links with the United Kingdom independent of marriage and that he or she meets the requirements of the 1981 Act to be of good character.

For the most part, we expect that the wives of expatriate British citizens will achieve settlement and, eventually, qualify for citizenship in the normal way if they, in due course, accompany their husbands to the United Kingdom. However special arrangements apply for British citizens serving abroad in Crown or designated service. The spouse of such a person can be naturalised under section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 without a period of United Kingdom residence if the employing organisation can show that this would be in its, and the United Kingdom's, interests.

In the Government's view, the arrangements I have outlined deal fully and fairly with the concerns to which you drew attention. It follows that I hope you will be able to accept that British citizens resident in Hong Kong need feel no reason to leave Hong Kong simply to secure their spouse's immigration position.

you

سالان

PETER LLOYD