Right of abode in Hong Kong policies since the 1950s. With the Handover imminent in 1997, the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law defined who may reside in Hong Kong once China assumes sovereignty over Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong was created a British colony in 1842, those who were born in the territory or become naturalised had British nationality. This included the right to enter and live in United Kingdom in addition to Hong Kong. By the 1960s, the United Kingdom passed the "Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962" and "Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968". Anticipating immigration waves from former and current colonies in Africa and Asia
Britons in Hong Kong Britons in Hong Kong Britons never made up more than a small portion of the population in Hong Kong, despite Hong Kong having been under British rule for more than 150 years. However, they did leave their mark on Hong Kong's institutions, culture and architecture. The British population in Hong Kong today consists mainly of career expatriates working in banking, education, real estate, law and consultancy, as well as a large number of British-born ethnic Chinese, former Chinese émigrés to the U.K., and Hong Kongers (mostly ethnic Chinese) who successfully applied for full British citizenship before the transfer of sovereignty