§ LORD FREDERICK HAMILTON (Manchester, S.W.)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether his attention has been called to the Laws respecting Nationality in force in the Argentine Republic, under which children born on Argentine territory, of British parents, are claimed as Argentine citizens, and, if males, are held liable for military service, without being allowed the option of retaining British Nationality; and, whether Her Majesty's representative at Buenos Ayres is justified in issuing British passports to such enforced citizens of the Argentine Republic?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. BRYCE) (Aberdeen, S.)According to the laws of the Argentine Republic, all persons born in the territories of the Republic, with the exception of children of members of the Diplomatic Corps, whatever the nationality of their parents, are considered to be subjects of the Republic whilst resident there. Children born there of British parents are, however, according to British law, also British subjects. Her 1522 Majesty's representative at Buenos Ayres would be justified in issuing British passports to such children; but, as they would also owe allegiance to the Argentine Republic, such passports would not afford them protection against the laws of that Republic so long as they resided within its territories. Nevertheless, in the event of any special case arising in which a British subject might be likely to suffer from his owing such double allegiance, Her Majesty's Government would always be ready to make a friendly appeal upon the subject to the Argentine Government. For further information on the subject, I beg leave to refer the noble Lord to page 61 of the Appendix to the Report of the Royal Commissioners of 1869 for inquiring into the Laws of Naturalization and Allegiance.