TNAG-2206-FCO40-3163-Emigration-from-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 78

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· CONFIDENTIAL

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effectively dates back to the Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1962. Nevertheless we have come under pressure from Hong Kong to grant right offa bode or citizenship to all Hong Kong BDTCs in order to allow them to settle in Britain if the arrangements for Hong Kong's future set

in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, 1994 prove untenable.

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and unicalistic

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We have had to say that this is impractical. However we are working urgently on a scheme which will grant the right of abode to a number of people both in the public and the private sectors in Hong Kong. Qualification will be based not only on connections with Britain but also on value of service to Hong Kong. The aim of the scheme will be to provide some of those people which Hong Kong needs to stay put if her future stability and prosperity is to be secured with the reassurance that enables them to do so. The objective therefore is to keep people in Hong Kong who might otherwise leave, not to tempt them away to settle in the United Kingdom.

5. Seen in this context, it will appear very strange indeed if British dependencies are actively campaigning to attract people of substance away from Hong Kong. Though presentationally this will contradict Britain's

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problem. Those BDTCs who remain in Hong Kong beyond 1997 will maintain their rights as BDTCs (including a passport) but will be renamed as British Nationals

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· (Overseas). Thus in moving to another British dependency. they will gain nothing more than they already have, other

They than the right of residence in that dependency. will certainly not thus gain an automatic right of abode in the United. I am

I am aware of the ar Went that BDTCs les petitioning for this right will be bt er placed after

1997 when the majority of BDTCs will have become either BN(O)s or Chinese citizens. But it would be potentially disastrous to hold out that carrot at this stage, inviting the charge of hypocrity or, if enough Hong Kong people decided to "buy" Tight of abode in the United Kingdom in this way, forcing us to disappoint all BDTCs on the grounds of sheer numbers.

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Though it is conceivable that some in Hong Kong will.. regard the right to reside elsewhere and the prospect of more favourable treatment after 1997, as a valuable acquisition in itself, I doubt whether those with i significant captial to invest will settle for that. For