TNAG-2942-FCO40-4218-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 56

Government is willing to show some flexibility, consistent with the terms of the 1981 Act. Would it be possible to give these people an assurance that, should they choose to come to the UK to establish residence there, the Home Secretary would be prepared to exercise sympathetically his discretion to waive absences during the qualifying period? The question of how much absence could be waived would of course need examining. It may well be that whatever period the Home Office fix on would still be seen as too onerous by these ladies. But I know that Hong Kong opinion would value the gesture; we would have been seen to do the maximum possible within the constraints of the legislation. I would be grateful if you could consider this approach.

I appreciate that the Home Office will have a number of factors to weigh up when coming to a decision about these two subjects. But from a foreign policy point of view, granting citizenship to the ethnic minorities and making it easier for the tiny group of wives and widows to acquire citizenship would be a gesture which would win disproportionate goodwill in Hong Kong and which would make a valuable contribution to confidence in the Territory.

Снови

ALASTAIR GOODLAD