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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 744W, if he will list the British Dependent Territories whose citizens (a) already enjoy the grant of British citizenship, (b) qualify to enjoy the grant of British citizenship and also enjoy the rights to reside and work in the United Kingdom and (c) do not qualify for the grant of British citizenship; and what the population of each of the British Dependent Overseas Territories is. [16750] Mr. Bradshaw: British Dependent Territories citizens (BDTCs) of the Falkland Islands (pop. 2,200) have already been granted British citizenship, and those of Gibraltar (pop. 27,200) have the right to apply for British citizenship. The British Overseas Territories Bill will not affect the position of Falkland Islanders. It will make automatic the grant of British citizenship to BDTCs from Gibraltar. The Bill will confer British citizenship on all other BDTCs except those who owe their status solely to their connection with the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus. Apart from the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar, the qualifying Territories are Anguilla (pop. 11,900), Bermuda (pop. 61,500) British Antarctic Territory (no permanent population), British Indian Ocean Territory (no permanent population), British Virgin Islands (pop. 19,100), Cayman Islands (pop. 36,600), Montserrat (pop. 4,500), Pitcairn Islands (pop. 54), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (no permanent population), St. Helena and Dependencies (pop. 6,400), Turks and Caicos Islands (pop. 20,000). All those who become British citizens under the provisions of the Bill will enjoy the rights of abode and employment in the United Kingdom which flow from British citizenship. All population figures taken from the 1999 White Paper "Partnership for Progress and Prosperity".

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

16750; 375 c336-7W;375 c339-40W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

British nationality British overseas territories Free movement of people Nationality Population Right of abode

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk