TNAG-2944-FCO40-4220-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-dependants-wives-and-widow-1993 — Page 47

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

41

#

30 November 1993

'

Andrew Bowden Esq MBE MP House of Commons

London SW1A OAA

HKD 34013

RECEIVER IN DE

- 3 DEC 1993

D.SK OFFICE

INDEA

London SWIA 2AH

From The Minister of State

JISTRY

Don lakesi

45

Dear Andrey

Thank you for your letter of 22 November, enclosing a copy of one from Mr J F and Mrs P A Brown, of 23 Ovingdean Close, Ovingdean, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 7AS, who are concerned about the refusal of the British Government to grant British passports to the widows of Hong Kong servicemen who lost their lives in the service of the Crown.

I can well understand Mr and Mrs Brown's feelings about the widows whose husbands bravely served in the defence of Hong

Those men made a heroic Kong during the Second World War. contribution to Hong Kong. I am sure that this is not ignored in this country.

The question of British citizenship for this small group of

The ladies has been very carefully considered by Ministers. problem is that there is no provision in our nationality law to grant British citizenship to a person who is not resident in the United Kingdom. So we do not have the power to grant what they are asking for. But assurances have been given by Ministers that these ladies could settle in the United Kingdom at any time and apply for British citizenship in the normal way. We have also done all we can to ensure that if any of these ladies want to apply for entry clearance to the United Kingdom, their applications can be processed very quickly.

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