New Clause 3 - Application of European rules on citizenship
British Overseas Territories Bill [Lords]
11:00 am
Mr Ben Bradshaw (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office; Exeter, Labour)
I shall go through the points that the hon. Gentleman raised one by one. No, we do not have a problem with dual nationality; it will be possible. We have received no representations at all from the EU or from individual EU countries. The Bill is about citizenship, not sovereignty or constitutional change. It has no effect on the constitutional relationship between the United Kingdom and the overseas territories or between the territories and the European Union. Any agreements that the territories have entered into with the EU stand; they are free to enter into more if they so wish. However, there is no obligation on the territories to adhere, for example, to EU directives.
As the hon. Gentleman pointed out, the new clause would deprive the new British citizens in the territories of their full rights, until they are resident in the United Kingdom. I am sure that he does not want to do that. It would also take away the rights that British overseas territories citizens who have acquired British citizenship through the British Nationality Act 1981 but are not resident in this country enjoy as European Union citizens. Those rights cover free movement in Europe, setting up businesses in Europe and so on. I therefore ask the hon. Gentleman to withdraw the motion.