Hong Kong Indians Delhi considering dual citizenship
HONG KONG, Feb. 11 (ANI) India is "actively considering" dual nationality for about 6,000 Indian nationals who would become Stateless after this British crown colony is re- verted to China in July 1997.
If New Delhi does decide to grant dual citizenship to 6,000 Indian nation- als, the Constitution of the country would have to be amended, Mr Suren- dra Arora, High Commissioner for In- dia in Hong Kong, told ANI.
Mr Arora said here are about 23,000 Indians living in Hong Kong. Of them, 17,000 are Indian passport holders and the rest hold British dependent terri- tory passports. Holders of such pass- ports would not be entitled to British citizenship.
Ever since China and Britain con- cluded an agreement five years ago
over the future of Hong Kong after the expiry of the 99-year-old lease, the fate of these Indians has been hanging fire. Britain refused to give them British nationality or passport.
It would be the first time India would accept the concept of dual nationality, if between now and 1997 New Delhi decides to amend the Con- stitution to accommodate the Stateless Indians of Hong Kong.
Indians, who are engaged in com- merce and business, contribute about 10 per cent to the Colony's $75-billion foreign trade, and they are considered an influential minority.
the minds of these 6,000 Indians as There is a great deal of uneasiness in
they would be given British overseas nationals status, and not the British nationality from July 1997.
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