Citizenships granted

Immigration lawyers have expressed delight at the success of their campaign for African Asians given worthless British passports by the Labour government in 1968 to be given full UK citizenship.

Home Secretary David Blunkett announced last week that the overseas British citizen status - which did not give any rights of residency in Britain and left up to 35,000 people stateless more than 30 years ago following decolonisation - was a historic wrong that had to be righted.

The 1968 Commonwealth Immigrants Act, which introduced the second-class citizenship, gave white people in similar circumstances the right to live in the UK.

Maria Fernandes, a partner at London firm Fernandes Vaz, said the Law Society's immigration law committee, which she chairs, has been fighting for changes to the Act.

'This is a historic step that will be warmly welcomed amongst East-African Asians,' she said.

'The immigration committee and Law Society President David McIntosh felt this was an important issue and we have conducted a well-organised campaign.

It has been worth the fight.'

Barrister Rick Scannell, chairman of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association, said he was 'absolutely delighted' by the news.

'It will be a wonderful end to years of fundamental unfairness founded in blatant racism,' he said.

l London firm Kingsley Napley has become the first to apply successfully for permission to remain for a Turkish businessman under special immigration rules which apply to Turkish nationals.

Andrew Towler