TNAG-2714-FCO40-3920-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 112

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

ther details of the scheme

Further

are available to the

Committee in the Governor's annual report pirated 25 Febmany (published by Haso)

он

of the remaining 15,500 will be completed by the end of 1993.

37.

remained fairly stable.

The level of emigration has continued to increase.

An

estimated 66,000 departed in 1992 (62,000 and 60,000 respectively

す in 1990 and 1991). But there are indications that the numbers of

people applying to emigrate are now falling. The number of new applications lodged with some Consulates in Hong Kong during the

latter part of 1992 fell significantly but, since the Consulates are dealing with a backlog of applications built up over the last few years, it may take some time before the trend is reflected in emigration statistics. An increasing number of Hong Kong

residents are returning to Hong Kong to live and work after acquiring right of residence abroad.

38. In parallel with the selection scheme, the Government have

continued to encourage their international partners to do what they can to give Hong Kong residents the confidence to remain in

the territory by offering a right of foreign abode, preferably without their having to leave the territory. [Any comments from

Hong Kong and posts on any developments since the 1990 reply.]

39. The Government have exercised discretion, within the provisions of nationality law, to reassure two groups of Hong Kong residents. The first group are the wives and widows of former

Hong Kong servicemen. The Government have taken further steps to

reassure them that they are entitled to come to the UK to settle at any time. In July 1990, the Home Secretary widened the original assurance so that it applies whether or not the widowed

spouse has citizenship of a third country, provided that she is

still resident in Hong Kong and has not remarried. There is

however no power in nationality law as it now stands to grant this

group of people citizenship while they remain in Hong Kong. So they will need to fulfil the normal residence qualifications under

the terms of the British Nationality Act 1981 to gain citizenship.

select.cttee.PR.JRB

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