Right of abode for former British-Hong Kong servicemen

Motion Text

That this House recognises the enormous contribution to Britain of the former Hong Kong armed forces who loyally served this country from 1857 until 1997; it acknowledges that these men and their ancestors greatly served UK commitments in South East Asia, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Britain throughout two world wars, serving in France, as well as Burma, Korea, Malaya, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and with the United Nations for King, Queen and country; further notes that they are recognised by the Ministry of Defence as Veterans and they have remained extremely loyal to the United Kingdom; believes that those remaining soldiers of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps and the Hong Kong Royal Naval Service who did not receive a UK passport following the handover of Hong Kong to China should now be offered that choice; notes only 159 former servicemen were given a UK passport in 1997 under the then passport selection scheme; further notes that the remainder of the Military Service Corps and some 100 Royal Naval servicemen were left behind; and calls on the Government to recognise that the decision not to have asked each serviceman to freely transfer their nationality from British-Hong Kong to Hong Kong-Chinese prior to the handover of Hong Kong was unjust and an error that should now be rectified.