British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 Territories citizens were restricted in their right to enter and stay in the UK. The new Act conferred full British citizenship on the residents of the Falkland Islands, giving them more preferential status than that of other BDTCs, including BDTCs of Gibraltar (whose British citizenship must be voluntarily applied for). The 1983 Act had retrospective effect from 1 January 1983, the date on which the 1981 Act had come into effect. The 1983 Act was passed mainly in response to the Falklands War, which was fought between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the sovereignty of the islands. The United
Falkland Islands status Supreme Court of the Falkland Islands. According to the 2012 census, a majority of those with Falkland Islands Status are British Citizens, with 11% coming from 58 other countries (including 18 Argentine nationals). Before the current Falkland Islands Constitution came into force on 1 January 2009, Falkland Islands Status was defined by the 1985 Constitution, under which a person was eligible for Falkland Islands Status if they were: Under section 22(5) of the current Falkland Islands Constitution, a person is entitled to Falkland Islands status if they are: Since 2007, all new applicants for Falkland Islands Status, if their application