TNAG-2935-FCO40-4210-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1993 — Page 111

08-JUL-1993 11:12

B4 IND LIVEPPOOL

WIVES AND WIDOWS OF EX-SERVICEMEN

44 051 336 3386

P.C

Background

1.

Immigration undertaking

During the Second Reading of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990

Act 1990 the Home Secretary gave an immigration assurance that the spouses of any British citizens who had died and who had been resident

been resident in Hong

in Hong Kong would be allowed to come to the United Kingdom providing they were still resident in Hong Kong, did not have the citizenship of another country (a condition which was later dropped) and had not remarried. (They could apply for British citizenship in the normal way ie.

ie. after fulfilling the residence requirements.) It was made clear that this same assurance also extended to the wives and widows of former servicemen who served in the defence of Hong Kong during the Second World War under the Government of Hong Kong, irrespective of the husband's nationality.

The problem

2.

18.3/CC

for the

ex-servicemen's British citizenship

Pressure is now being exerted spouses and widows to be granted without having to fulfil the residence requirements. There are only four or five dozen of them and LegCo (and the Hong Kong Government) is pressing HMG to look again at the case for exemption from the requirements. The latest suggestion from HKG is that the ladies concerned should be allowed to fulfil the residence requirements by going through a notional period of residence here on the basis of the Home Secretary's discretion to overlook excess absences. The wives and widows would pay a single visit to the UK, be granted settlement on arrival, remain for a short time, return to Hong Kong and then submit from there an application for citizenship three or (if not married to a BC) five years later.