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SCMP Reporter

Britain last night granted full citizenship to Hong Kong's ethnic minorities who would have been left stateless after the handover.

  Home Secretary Michael Howard finally caved in to mounting pressure after years of campaigning in Britain and Hong Kong.

  The announcement in the House of Commons admitted that existing assurances had done little to remove concerns for the future of the ethnic minorities, but details of exactly who will receive passports remain unclear.

  More than 8,000 non-ethnic Chinese people - mostly of Indian descent - have registered with the Immigration Department as having no citizenship outside Hong Kong, but it is considered unlikely all will qualify for the passport scheme.

  At present, they have British National (Overseas) passports which do not give them right of abode in Britain. Under the Basic Law, it is unclear whether non-ethnic Chinese will be allowed citizenship of the Special Administrative Region.

  In a written reply to a question in the Commons Mr Howard, who had singlehandedly among ministers opposed the proposal, said he had reconsidered his views.

  'I have carefully reviewed the position of the solely British ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, in the light of expressions of concern in both Houses of Parliament here and in Hong Kong, that their nationality status will be uncertain after June 30, 1997.

  'It is clear that the assurances which they have been given over a number of years have not allayed this concern.

  'I therefore intend to make provision enabling them to apply for registration as British citizens, giving them right of abode in the United Kingdom.'   However, Mr Howard said he expected the majority of such people would continue to live in Hong Kong.

  Ethnic minorities were delighted by the news.

  'We are extremely happy,' said Kewalram Sital, chairman of the Council of Hong Kong Indian Associations. 'We have been lobbying for years. The support was there from the politicians but we were told it wasn't a very popular issue in the UK.'   Indian Resources Group director Ravi Gidumal, currently in Britain, said: 'I am delighted. The constant pressure has finally got through.'   The Governor, Chris Patten, said the move was an excellent Lunar New Year present for Hong Kong.

  'The case has been put with dignity and vigour, and today the right decision has been made,' he said.

  'The next step will be to bring forward as swiftly and efficiently as possible the necessary legislative measures to make it possible for those concerned to apply for British citizenship.'   It is expected that the British Government will use the private members bill introduced into the Commons from the Lords last week to make the law change.

   Senior Home Office officials want first to make several technical amendments to tighten up the definition of who will be eligible.

  Sir Patrick Cormack, the senior Tory backbencher who introduced the bill in the Commons, said he believed the Government would just seek amendments to the legislation.

   His bill is now provisionally down for its second reading on February 14 and he hopes it will be law by the end of the month.

  Shadow home secretary Jack Straw said the move was 'as welcome and overdue as it is profoundly cynical'.



Ethnic minorities win UK passports