TNAG-2939-FCO40-4215-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 86

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a special sub-quota of passports under the 1990 Act at the

cost of other HK BDTC's

J

surely not, even if that were

legally possible. Many comments in the LegCo debate

suggested that more passports should be provided generally

by HMG, not specially for ethnic minorities. The

arguments on this have all been made at the time of the

granting of this major concession to Hong Kong in 1990.

The Hong Kong Government is well known to have argued for

more and in an ideal world no doubt more could have been

But I am fairly sure that it is not possible

now to open this issue again, for ethnic minorities or

available.

others.

It seems, in conclusion, that the intention of

your organisation is to seek guarantees from the British

Government either by way of the right of abode in the

United Kingdom or British nationality within some special

provision or through an amendment to the British

Nationality Scheme.

of whatever sort is a matter for Her Majesty's Government

in the United Kingdom. As to the use of the British

Nationality Scheme to provide a racial element as implied

we have clarified before that it would not be possible to

do so because the law does not allow for it, even if it

were acceptable in principle. Therefore although I am

Any request for British citizenship

happy to pass on your requests and views, as we have

indeed done already after both the Legco debate and the

LegCo sub-Committee meeting, I must say that given the

legal and other background, I do not consider further