TNAG-2639-FCO40-3831-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-nationality-dependants-1992 — Page 22

HOME

SECRETARY

Der Days.

M.

Wordkrow Actio

hand

я ро

8419

QUEEN ANNE'S GATE LONDON SWIH 9AT

Dr Rochelts, HKD 02 SEP 1992

De

Сс

-

fax out.

PS

мачив

copy already marked

In 3/9

CHILDREN OF BRITISH CITIZEN PARENTS IN HONG KONG

(39)

Thank you

for your minute of 4 August about this

this group of children of British citizen parents in Hong Kong. I am glad that it was helpful to you to be able to say at your press conference in Hong Kong that I would look at these cases generously and speedily. I understand Alastair Goodlad would like to expand upon this during his forthcoming visit to Hong Kong and say something about how I will be approaching these cases.

I do think it important, for the reasons given in Charles Wardle's correspondence with Alastair Goodlad, that each case should be considered individually. This must mean that, however generous the criteria, some of the applications are likely to be unsuccessful. I am afraid, therefore, that I cannot undertake in advance to exercise my discretion to register all the children, irrespective of the merits of the individual cases: that would be inconsistent with the principle of individual examination. In any event, only a minority of the cases fit the standard pattern of families containing both British citizen and non-British citizen children; in most there are no younger British citizen children; and in a few, the parents are not British citizens.

Having said that, I think it would be permissible for Alastair to announce that, all things being equal and subject to their personal acceptability, I will grant those applications where there is a British citizen parent and a British citizen brother or sister; where the applicant has some residential connection with the United Kingdom such as

as studying here; or where the applicant has been adopted in Hong Kong by British citizen parents. In all other cases, I will look sympathetically at the family's circumstances, taking into account such factors as the age of the parents; their occupation; their connection with the United Kingdom, such as periods of residence; cultural professional links, including periods of study spent here;

The Rt Hon Douglas Hurd, CBE, MP Foreign and Commonwealth Office Whitehall

London SW1

HKD 340/6.

or

/cont

45