07-JUN-1993
15:56
24 IND LIVERPOOL
t
44 051 338 3088
F.15
passionate circumstances. The ladies concerned wish to stay in Hong Kong. There seems a quite insufficient case for taking
exceptional measures on their behalf. It would be a highly undesirable precedent to set, making it far more difficult to resist pressure from other quarters.
Line to take
The Government has always made it clear that the 1990 Act was
intended to cope with the unique circumstances of Hong Kong.
Anybody not acquiring British citizenship under that legislation
would fall to be dealt with under the 1981 Act and would be
judged against the normal criteria. The wives and widows fail to qualify against the criterion of an acceptable period of residence in the UK. There are no compelling circumstances which would warrant this policy being overturned. The Government has
agreed that the wives and widows may come to the UK with a view to settlement at any time, after which they may apply for naturalisation in the normal way. We cannot extend beyond the
numbers already agreed, those who can become British citizens
without first coming to the UK and fulfilling the residence
requirements of the 1981 Act.
15
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.