Recognition of same-sex unions in the British Overseas Territories recognises foreign same-sex marriages for immigration purposes. Recognition of same-sex unions in the British Overseas Territories Among the fourteen British Overseas Territories, nine – Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Bermuda, the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and recognise and perform same-sex marriages. In the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, only British military and civilian personnel can enter into same-sex marriages and civil partnerships. The five Caribbean territories have no general recognition of same-sex unions. Three of them specify the right of opposite-sex couples to
British National (Overseas) Kong were entitled to register as British Nationals (Overseas). Becoming a British National (Overseas) was therefore neither an automatic nor an involuntary process. Therefore, some eligible persons who had the requisite connection with Hong Kong never applied to become British Nationals (Overseas). To make it involuntary or automatic would have been contrary to the assurances as given to the Chinese government; as a result, the words "eligible to" were chosen for paragraph (a) of the United Kingdom Memorandum to the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Any person, who failed to register as a British National (Overseas) by 1 July 1997 and would