TNAG-2612-FCO40-3803-International-support-from-European-countries-regarding-the--1992 — Page 18

Des

maas.h NAT JM

CODE 18-77

Mr Baker, ECD(I)

Reference

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9

MAASTRICHT/HONG KONG

1.

Your Ms. note, and Mr Broucher's, on N J Morris's minute of 28 September refer. You asked how many British citizens live in Hong Kong.

2.

Without wishing to continue the mystification, I would have to say that no-one quite knows. Not counting those who obtained their citizenship under the 1990 Act (see below), the Hong Kong Government estimate that there are around 10,000 British citizens living in Hong Kong. This figure includes both ex-pats from the UK and locals who either obtained British citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1981, or who had it from previous nationality legislation.

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3. To that number should be added those who have obtained it under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990 (BNHKA). There will eventually be 50,000 principal beneficiaries, plus their spouses and dependent children under 18 receiving BC status in this way perhaps as many as 180,000 in total. things go according to HKG's plan, we should have a fairly good idea of the final total by the end of 1994. To date (3 October's figures) 13,650 principal Beneficiaries and 25,174 dependents have been registered as British Citizens under the BNHKA, 38,824 in total.

4. British Citizens of course have right of abode in the UK. No other types of British national in Hong Kong have this right. I hope this is helpful.

нко. 021/4

Jikoni

J C Morris

Hong Kong Department

WH302 270 2650

9 October 1992

cc. N J Morris Esq,

NTCD

D S Broucher Esq, HBM Embassy, Bonn

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