title: The British who are not British and the immigration policies that are not: the case of Hong Kong.
abstract: "While 'closed-door' immigration policies are adopted by most countries, 'exceptionalist' legislation is often made to permit entry of special immigrant groups. An example is the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990, which was passed in the run-up to the change in sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997. Britain's increasingly restrictive immigration policies prior to 1990 [have] resulted in the majority of Hong Kong citizens having British nationality (as British Dependent Territories citizens) but without the right of abode in the U.K. The 1990 Act conferred full British citizenship status on 50,000 heads of households in Hong Kong." The authors conclude that "in a world of marked global inequalities, immigration pressure will become even more extreme and is likely to produce an increasing number of cases of exceptionalist immigration legislation in countries with both ¿open' and 'closed'-door policies.'
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Jowett
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Findlay
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Skeldon
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D005060:Europe; D005202:Asia, Eastern; D006723:Hong Kong; D011057:Politics; D011640:Public Policy; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Asia; Developed Countries; Developing Countries; Eastern Asia; Europe; Hong Kong; Migration Policy; Northern Europe; Policy; Political Factors; Population Policy; Social Policy; United Kingdom