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IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM

Hong Kong has received much appreciated assistance by the traditional resettlement countries, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and voluntary agencies who are caring for refugees. However, it is a matter of concern that the pace of resettlement is slowing down, and international interest waning, Hong Kong is striving to keep interna- tional attention on this continuing human problem, in order to ensure that the interna- tional community maintains a resettlement effort which matches the continuing outflow of refugees from Vietnam. The territory has consistently played its part in this process: In addition to providing temporary asylum for 109 155 refugees since 1975, it has allowed over 14 000 people from Indo-China to settle in the territory permanently since the end of the Vietnam war.

British Nationality Act 1981

In January 1981, the British Government introduced into Parliament a bill which sought to replace the British Nationality Acts of 1948 to 1965. The main purpose of the bill was to replace the composite citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies - created under the 1948 Act - by three separate citizenships. British citizenship would be limited to those who have close personal connections with Britain and would be equated with the right of abode there.

The bill was foreshadowed by a Green Paper published by the former (Labour) government in April 1977, and a White Paper published by the present (Conservative) government in July 1980. Under the Green Paper proposals, Citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKCs) who had derived their citizenship from birth, naturalisa- tion or registration in Hong Kong, or from their descent from male citizens, were to be given British overseas citizenship in the same way as CUKCs associated with former British dependencies which had become independent.

However, this proposal was modified following representations from Hong Kong and other dependent territories. The 1980 White Paper proposed the creation of a separate citizenship for people from the British dependent territories, to reflect the special constitu- tional relationship between them and Britain. It was eventually decided that this category would be described as British Dependent Territories citizenship.

The introduction of the bill caused considerable public interest in Hong Kong, and serious concern was expressed in some sectors of the community about the adverse effects. of the bill on the rights of Hong Kong CUKCs. Some misgivings were also voiced that one of the objects of the bill was to distance Hong Kong from Britain.

Throughout the bill's protracted passage through the Houses of Parliament - which was not completed until October 29, 1981 - the Hong Kong Government as well as private organisations and individuals in the territory made representations to the British Govern- ment with a view to safeguarding the practical rights and interests of Hong Kong CUKCs. A number of improvements were secured as a result of these efforts. In particular, the bill was amended to give British Dependent Territories citizens, including those from Hong Kong, an entitlement to be registered as British citizens after five years' residence in Britain. (Under the original terms of the bill they would have had to apply for naturalisation, a discretionary process which involves the meeting of language and other requirements in addition to residence).

During the lengthly parliamentary debates on the bill, repeated assurances were given by several ministers of the British Government that the bill would in no way alter the relationship and commitment of Her Majesty's Government to the people of Hong Kong and other dependent territories. Ministers also confirmed that British Dependent