TNAG-2941-FCO40-4217-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 31

UL-1993

15:24

E- IND LIVERPOOL

:he UK and have settled status.

These passports also

confer British consular protection worldwide, and will lo so in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region after 1997 if the holders are not Chinese nationals as well. The ethnic minorities will therefore be in no different position in these respects after 1997.

In our

The Joint

Secondly, the elimic minorities have expresseù ícalo that, unlike the ethnic Chinese, they will not have the right of abode in Hong Kong post-1997. view these fears are quite groundless.

of the Basic Law Declaration and Article 24(6) guarantee the ethnic minorities the right of abode in Hong Kong if they do not have a elsewhere. The Chinese authorities have said that people in Hong Kong who are not ethnically Chinese are welcome to remain and have suggested that they might wish to apply for Chinese citizenship.

is claimed

right of abode

under that

existing

Thirdly, it arrangements the ethnic minorities, their children or There is no grandchildren will be left stateless.

question of that. Specific provision has been made in Article 6 of the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 to deal with this question. People with solely British nationality (ie. BDTC, BN (0) or BOC) pre-1997 will retain British nationality after 1997 (either as The children of those who become BN (0)s or BOCs). BŪCs under the 1986 ûrder will automatically become Their BOCS if they would otherwise be stateless. grandchildren will have an entitlement to acquire BOC

ند.

༢

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