HC Deb 21 December 1989 vol 164 cc386-7W
Mr. Churchill

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total number of immigrants from New Commonwealth, or previously New Commonwealth countries(a) admitted for settlement in the United Kingdom or (b) admitted on such a basis as may eventually entitle them to United Kingdom citizenship with right of abode.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The number of persons from the new commonwealth and Pakistan accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in the years 1980–88 is published in table 22 of the annual Home Office volume "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom 1998" (Cm 726).

Under the British Nationality Act 1981 British dependent territory citizens, British nationals (overseas), British overseas citizens, British subjects and British' protected persons who have been accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom, and fulfil the other conditions of section 4(2) of the Act are entitled to British citizenship. There is now no entitlement to citizenship for other adults, though those who have been accepted for settlement and fulfil the other relevant conditions of the Act may apply for citizenship by naturalisation, which is at the Home Secretary's discretion.

The numbers of British dependent territory citizens from Hong Kong (including British nationals (overseas)) and of British overseas citizens, accepted for settlement in recent years is also shown in the aforementioned table 22. The numbers of acceptances for settlement of British dependent territory citizens other than from Hong Kong, of British subjects and of British protected persons are not separately identified in the settlement figures. However, information on grants of British citizenship in 1988 for most of these categories is shown in table 4 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin Issue 9/89 "Citizenship Statistics, United Kingdom 1988"

Copies of both these publications are in the Library.

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