Information paper for LegCo Security Panel
Permanent Residency After 1997

At the Panel meeting on 7 October, the Secretary for Security explained that

    - the general principles on right of abode were set out in the Joint Declaration and Article 24 of the Basic Law;

    - the majority of Hong Kong’s population (including BN(O) passport holders) who did not have a second nationality could continue to enjoy the right of abode (which was accorded to them by an amendment to the Immigration Ordinance in 1986/87) after 1997;

    - the area where uncertainty still lied was in respect of non-Chinese nationals;

    - the Chinese side’s official thinking on right of abode matters was set out in detail in two published documents, viz. the Resolution passed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on the application of the Chinese Nationality Law in the HKSAR on 15 May 1996, and the "Views on the applications of Article 24 of the Basic Law in the HKSAR" adopted by the Preparatory Committee on 10 August 1996;

    - we were discussing the outstanding issues with the Chinese side.

2. An extract of a speech made by the Secretary for Security on 4 October is at the Annex.

Security Branch
23 October 1996

Last Updated on 21 August 1998