TNAG-2934-FCO40-4209-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1993 — Page 33

HKD 3401

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file (167

FROM:

Deborah Barnes Jones

Hong Kong Department

17 June 1993

DATE:

co:

Mr Hayward, NTCD

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Mr Hám

PS/Mr Goodlad

Ms Everett, News Dept

beg. Mr Dinkam.

Mr Kelly

LEGCO

HONG KONG NATIONALITY: ON HOME SECRETARY, 9 JUNE

DELEGATION'S CALL

1. The Minister will already be aware of the Home Secretary's undertaking to agree in principle to the simultaneous holding of passports for both forms of British nationality (BDTC and BNO). At least one (attached) press report indicates that the delegation are content to settle for this. (We are now coordinating within Whitehall and with Hong Kong detailed arrangements which should be publicised later this month). The Minister may like to be aware of other points which came up during the meeting; I attach the Home Office record.

2.

The Home Secretary made it clear that he had no plans to introduce legislation to grant British citizenship to the ethnic minorities.

3. You will note that, pressed by Ms Lau during exchanges on the nature of assurances given by the present and by previous governments, the Home Secretary indicated that those people with joint British and Chinese nationality would fall under the terms of the government's undertaking (to consider with sympathy any claim they might make for admission to the UK if they come under pressure to leave Hong Kong). This statement was seized on by Miss Lau and is featured in the delegation's press release (copy attached). It was not given much emphasis in Hong Kong press coverage, which has concentrated on the BNO/BDTC concession. Home Office officials subsequently asked me to make it clear, in coying the attached record to Hong Kong, that the question of reassurances was raised in the context of the ethnic minorities and it was on this community that the Home Secretary was concentrating. Nevertheless, having secured the Home Secretary's confirmation that the undertaking would apply more widely, the LegCo delegation will be alert for any attempts by HMG to restrict the applications to the ethnic community only.

The Home Secretary offered to restate the undertaking "given at various stages in the past and made with the ethnic

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min.hknat.NAT

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