TNAG-2940-FCO40-4216-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 121

CONFIDENTIAL

MD

026010

N 1754

SPECIFIC ALLOCATION TO THIS GROUP IN THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME, IN ORDER, WE THINK, TO ALLAY FEARS THAT ANYTHING GIVEN TO THE ETHNIC MINORITY MIGHT BE AT THE EXPENSE OF LOCAL CHINESE. IT STRESSES THE ETHNIC MINORITY'S DESIRE TO STAY IN HONG KONG AS THEIR HOME, SO THAT THE JUSTIFICATION IN GIVING THEM FULL BRITISH PASSPORTS IS THE SAME AS FOR THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME.

6. THE REPORT IS NOT MOVED BY THE DEFENCE OF THE BN (0) PASSPORT AS REMOVING STATELESSNESS. IT FOCUSES ON THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK FOR INDIANS AND OTHERS HERE WITHOUT RIGHT OF ABODE ELSEWHERE. THE IMPLICITLY REASONING THROUGHOUT THE REPORT IS THAT THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN A HONG KONG RULED BY CHINA IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE, FAIR OR ACCEPTABLE OPTION FOR NON-CHINESE. EXPLICITLY THE POINT IS MADE THAT RETURNING TO THEIR COUNTRIES OF ETHNIC ORIGIN OR APPLYING TO BECOME CHINESE CITIZENS ARE NOT REALISTIC OPTIONS.

7. ALTHOUGH THE REPORT DOES NOT SEEK AN ETHNIC CATEGORY IN THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME, THE SCHEME ITSELF HAS STRENGTHENED THEIR CASE. THE GENERAL FEELING IS THAT, IF HMG CAN DO SOMETHING FOR 225,000 HONG KONG RESIDENTS, THEN IT COULD DO MORE FOR 7,000 WITH MUCH LESS ASSOCIATION WITH CHINA.

8. YOU WILL RECALL THAT LORD WILSON SOUGHT (HIS TELNO 643 OF 20 FEB 1990) A SPECIAL PLACE FOR THE ETHNIC MINORITY ON THE BASIS OF THIS FEELING. YOU REPORTED (IN YOUR TELNO 388 OF SAME DATE) THERE WAS NO CHANCE THAT MINISTERS WOULD AGREE TO ANY MORE THAN 50,000 HOUSEHOLDS, GIVEN THE POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES HMG FACED IN GETTING THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME THROUGH PARLIAMENT. YOU SAID THE ETHNIC MINORITIES WOULD THEREFORE HAVE TO TAKE THEIR CHANCE CAS INDIVIDUALS) WITHIN THE GENERAL SCHEME.

9. LORD WILSON'S TELEGRAM POINT OUT THAT THIS SMALL GROUP WOULD NOT MEAN THE 225,000 LIMIT WAS BROKEN. THIS POINT IS NOW REINFORCED PUBLICLY BY THE KNOWLEDGE THAT 50,000 HOUSEHOLDS WILL COMPRISE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 225,000 PEOPLE. THE QUESTION WE ARE FACED WITH, THEREFORE, IS WHETHER YOU COULD NOT MAKE THE CONCESSION TO THE ETHNIC MINORITIES, WITHOUT RISKING EVEN AS MUCH IMMIGRATION TO BRITAIN AS WAS ENVISAGED UNDER THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME.

LINE TO TAKE

10. WE FEEL THAT THE MOTION WILL ATTRACT WIDE SUPPORT IN LEGCO AND WILL PASS. WE NEED TO CONSIDER:

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