I REFER to the letter headlined, 'Belongers' (South China Morning Post, November 25).
Paragraph 3 of schedule 1 to the Immigration Ordinance provides that any person who is a Commonwealth citizen and who immediately before January 1, 1983 had the right to land in Hong Kong by virtue of section 8(1) (a) as then in force (that is, a Hong Kong belonger), is a Hong Kong permanent resident.
A Hong Kong permanent resident has the right of abode which includes the right to land in Hong Kong.
Before January 1, 1983, the following categories of persons had the right to land in Hong Kong under section 8(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance as then in force: (a) Hong Kong belongers.
(b) Resident United Kingdom belongers.
(c) Chinese residents.
Hong Kong belonger was defined as: (i) A British subject who was born in Hong Kong.