Hong Kongers keen on visa

London: Nearly 5000 Hong Kong citizens have applied to live in the United

Kingdom under a new visa scheme which opens up a path to British citizenship for people fleeing China’s crackdown in the former colony, The

Times newspaper reported yesterday. London changed its visa rules to give millions of Hong Kong residents a chance to settle in the UK after China imposed a security law that democracy activists say will end the freedoms promised to the territory in 1997.

Hong Kong residents who hold a British National Overseas (BNO) passport will be allowed to live in the UK for five years and then apply for citizenship; about half of the 5000 applications received were from people who were already in Britain, The Times reported.

Some 5.4 million people could be eligible for British citizenship under the scheme.