TNAG-2628-FCO40-3819-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1992 — Page 6

From:

A R Rawsthorne IND

Lunar House

3822 2733

26 June 1992

CONFIDENTIAL

HILD-2A/10 340/1

сс

Mr Dolphin Mr Langdon Mr Hammond Mr Moorey Mr Osborne Mr Hayzelden Mr Walmsley Miss Weston Mrs Keswick Mr Ruffley Mr Kinney

1.

Ms Hutcheon

2.

Miss Hellmuth

-

HONG KONG PROGRAMME FOR REGISTERING BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY CITIZENS (BDTCS) AS BRITISH NATIONALS (OVERSEAS) (BNOs)

The purpose of this submission is to inform Ministers of a

scheme being proposed by Hong Kong, which they want to put to the

Executive Council there next month to ensure the orderly and

timely acquisition of BDTC and BN (0) status by those who wish to acquire it before Hong Kong reverts to China in 1997. We have reservations about some of the details but the submission seeks

Ministerial endorsement of the scheme in principle. The FCO are

keen to give the go ahead to Hong Kong by the end of the month.

THE PROBLEM

2. The Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 provides for

the status of Hong Kong British Dependent Territory Citizen to

end on 1 July 1997 and for HKBDTCs to acquire British National

(Overseas) status before that date. The Hong Kong immigration

authorities say that so far only 0.3 million of the estimated 3.3

million BDTCs who are or will be eligible for BN (O) status have

obtained BN (0) passports. There are some 1.7 million BDTC

CONFIDENTIAL

48