TNAG-2639-FCO40-3831-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-nationality-dependants-1992 — Page 48

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 27073OZ FCO TELNO 1974

OF 270405Z JULY 92

t

CONFIDENTIAL

HKD 340/6.

* 7 11 1942

pa

34.

054075

MDHIAN 3360

*Jr 20/1

TOP COPY Q DIST?

FOLLOWING FROM FOREIGN SECRETARY'S PARTY.

(967)

FCO TELNO 967: RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN OF

HONG KONG PARENTS.

1. THE LEAD STORY IN THIS MORNING'S SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (COPIED BY FAX TO FCO AND HOME OFFICE) IS THAT THE FAMILIES OF THE UNIQUE CATEGORY OF CHILDREN REFERRED TO IN TUR AND PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE PRESSING THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR A QUICK ANSWER TO THEIR PROBLEM. THE CO-ORDINATORS OF THE FAMILIES HAVE WRITTEN TO THE FOREIGN SECRETARY (COPY ALSO BY FAX).

2. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WILL BE SEEING OMELCO (WHERE DR. C.H. LEONG IS DUE TO RAISE THIS ISSUE), AT 0800 YOUR TIME. HE IS HOLDING A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 1100 YOUR TIME. HE WISHES TO BE IN A POSITION TO TAKE AS POSITIVE A LINE AS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT FOR OMELCO HE SHOULD (IN LIGHT OF TUR) SAY THAT HE IS SYMPATHETIC TO THE PROBLEM FACED BY THESE FAMILIES, AND THAT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE HOME OFFICE ARE BEING PURSUED URGENTLY. BY THE TIME OF HIS PRESS CONFERENCE AT 1100 YOUR TIME, HE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO BE IN A POSITION TO BE MORE POSITIVE THAN THAT, AND IDEALLY TO SAY THAT, ALTHOUGH THE DETAILS WILL NEED TO BE WORKED OUT, THE HOME SECRETARY HAS IN PRINCIPLE AGREED TO USE HIS DISCRETION TO REGISTER THESE CHILDREN UNDER SECTION 3(1) OF THE BNA 1981.

3. AS YOU WILL SEE, ANOTHER POINT HIGHLIGHTED IN THE SCMP ARTICLE IS THAT THE FAMILIES ARE CONCERNED THAT AN AGE LIMIT OF 18 WOULD APPLY FROM THE DATE OF APPROVAL OF REGISTRATION AND NOT THE DAY OF APPLICATION. A NUMBER OF FAMILIES SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS IN JUNE 1991 FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE SINCE TURNED 18. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER THE SECRETARY OF STATE CAN CONFIRM AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THE OPERATIVE DATE FOR THESE CHILDREN WILL BE THE DATE OF APPLICATION, NOT THE DATE OF APPROVAL.

4. GRATEFUL FOR A RESPONSE BY 1030 YOUR TIME ON THE LINE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO TAKE AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE. AS INDICATED

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