TNAG-2941-FCO40-4217-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 47

It.howell.NAT

JEB

British consular protection worldwide - including in the

future SAR if holders are not Chinese nationals as well.

(ii) Right of abode in Hong Kong The Joint Declaration

and Article 24 (6) of the Basic Law guarantee the ethnic

minorities right of abode in Hong Kong if they do not have

a right of abode elsewhere. The Chinese authorities have

said that people in Hong Kong of non-Chinese race are

welcome to remain and have suggested that they might wish to apply for Chinese citizenship in the future.

Those

(iii) Statelessness They will not be stateless. with solely British nationality (ie BDTC, BN (0) or BOC) will retain British nationality after 1997 (either BN (0)

or BOC). Neither will their children or grandchildren be

stateless. The Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 specifically provides that the children of BDTCs will have BOC status automatically if they would otherwise be stateless. The grandchildren of the original BDTCs will

in most cases have an entitlement to acquire BOC status by

registration (again, if they would otherwise be

stateless).

(iv) Limited Transmissibility Even British citizenship

will not normally be acquired beyond the first two

generations born in Hong Kong. The Government cannot give

indefinite rights to transmit nationality from one

generation to the next, especially where the territory in question is non-British.

(v) British Nationality Scheme - All BDTCs are eligible

to apply for British citizenship. The scheme was not specifically designed to help the ethnic minorities and we are not in a position to monitor the success of this

community (records are not taken on an ethnic basis).