TNAG-2198-FCO40-3152-Hong-Kong-nationality-spouses-and-widows-of-British-expatria-1990 — Page 77

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naturalised under section 6(2) of the 1981 Act without a period of United Kingdom residence if the employing organisation can

show that this

this would be in its, and the United Kingdom's.

interests.

I believe that the assurances which the Home Secretary has given

in respect of the spouses of expatriate British citizens, together with the new arrangements for recording and confirming spouses' details,

' details, deal very fully and fairly with the concerns which have been expressed by the expatriate community in Hong

Kong. For the reasons I have explained, we do not think it is

either right or necessary to include a provision in the Bill to provide full British citizenship for the spouses of existing British citizens, or to amend the 1981 Act to allow time spent in Hong Kong to count towards the three year United Kingdom

residence requirement. However what we have done is to offer

assurances which should

remove any fears which the expatriate

community may have had about whether their spouses or widows will be allowed to settle in the United Kingdom at any time in the future should they wish to do so.

I hope you will be able to accept that on this basis British citizens resident in Hong Kong need feel no reason to leave Hong Kong simply to secure their spouse's immigration position.

شهر

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