TNAG-2940-FCO40-4216-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 125

13

From:

Our f

LES Jenatal To: Is tabad Ho

Phone: 26?? J

Your fax: No. of pages:

Lodso74 4

LegCo Paper No. 1741/92-93

Ref : MS/9

Report for the House Committee Meeting to be held on 19 February 1993

Legco Subcommittee on Nationality

Purpose

TO seek Members' support for the ethnic minorities' request for full British nationality.

Surely JD/ Basic Law guamatizes for Brics

DBJ

Background

2.

The Subcommittee

on Nationality (originally known as study matters relating to nationality of wives ex-servicemen and ethnic minorities) was set up The House Committee

in November 1992 to study the

Subcommittee and widows

under

nationality problems likely to be facad by Hong Kong's ethnic minorities after 1997.

The Subcommittee has met six times, including meetings with representatives of the Indian Resources Group and with the Administration.

The plight of the ethnic minorities

3.

There

are about 7,000

minorities,

people in the category of non-Chinese ethnic

possibly comprising 2,000 families, in Kong Kong holding British Dependent Territory citizen (BOTC) passports or British National (Overseas) (BN(0)) passports. They were born in Hong Kong or have resided here for many years and it is their wish to remain in Hong Kong after 1997. Although it may be possible for both the British and the make some arrangements for the ethnic minorities to reside in Hong Kong or even to become Chinese nationals after 1997, there is no certainty to their nationality after 1997.

Chinese Governments

4.

t

There is also the possibility of the ethnic minorities becoming stateless after 1997. As from 1 July 1997 when British sovereignty over Hong Kong comes to an end, the ethnic DTC minorities

holding BDTC passports will lose their Hong Kong BDTC status. Although they can register as BN (0) before 1 July 1997, the BN (0) status does not confer upon them full British nationality or the right of abode in the United Kingdom. The ethnic minorities do not then have any place to which they truly belong. Moreover, their descendants will be eligible for British Overseas Citizen status for only two generations, this means that their third generation might become stateless.

The deliberations of the Subcommittee

5+

Having carefully considered the special situation of ethnic minorities, the Subcommittee has come to the view their request for full British nationality should be supported on the following grounds:

these that

neither does BOTC!