TNAG-2946-FCO40-4222-Hong-Kong-nationality-Macao-(Macau)-1993 — Page 2

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BRITISH EMBASSY

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R.S. Domingos à Lapa, No.37

1200 Lisbon - Portugal

Telex: 12278

Telephone: 66 11 91

Johnathan Marshall Esq) Hong Kong Department

FCO

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1.

17 August 1993

HUD 340/13

RECEIVER

- 3 SEP 1993

DESK OFFICEE

INDEX

FCO telegram 87 asked us to check with the Portuguese authorities on the workings of their nationality law for Macau residents. I called on Ambassador Fernando Andersen Guimarães, the Head of the Inter-Ministerial Commission on Macau in the MFA to discuss this subject.

2.

Ambassador Guimaraes confirmed our understanding of Portuguese law as set out in paragraph 3 of the telegram,

ie:

- the 1981 Portuguese Nationality Act was a watershed which had ended automatic Portuguese citizenship for Macau residents. From that date, only those children born in Macau of Portuguese citizens would be entitled to Portuguese nationality;

- the way was left open for some Macau residents to acquire Portuguese citizenship through a process of naturalisation. In practice, very few applicants had become Portuguese citizens that way. Ambassador Guimarães thought it "only a handful" since 1981 of which the majority were rich businessman who had contributed to Portuguese national foundations. Although guidelines such as good character, economic independence, etc were used in evaluating the applications, the Portuguese authorities had wide discretion in interpreting the rules and the criteria were applied very strictly.

4. Ambassador Guimarães and his staff were not clear exactly how many Macau residents already had Portuguese passports. They said it was a deliberate policy not to keep lists of Portuguese passport holders in order to protect those people from the Chinese authorities who might regard the holding of a Portuguese passport with suspicion.

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