Hongkongers give up the city they love
On the face of it, no-one could be more attached to Hong Kong than Bunty Kwok. She was born and grew up in the city, and loves the bustle and intensity of its streets, its delicious food, and the warmth of its people.
Kwok, 44, enjoys her job in an independent bookshop, her husband has a successful career in IT, and their 15-year old daughter is happy at school. But soon the Kwoks (their name has been changed because they fear antagonising the Chinese authorities) will begin the process of leaving Hong Kong for good and going to a country she has never seen.
Like many other Hongkongers, they intend to apply for a newly available British visa, announced last year by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It will allow holders of the British National (Overseas) (BNO) passport, which formerly permitted a holder to stay for six months, to remain in the United Kingdom for five years and eventually to apply for citizenship.
The change is a response to the introduction of a harsh national security law, imposed on Hong Kong by China last year, and the suppression of the mass democracy protests that began in 2019.
Online applications begin today – and all over Hong Kong, with varying degrees of sadness, anguish and relief, people are preparing to apply.
‘‘I love Hong Kong so much, but what has happened is so stressful,’’ Kwok said. ‘‘It’s like there’s always a ghost behind you, overseeing what you’re doing, even though you try not to see it.
‘‘When the UK announced the visa option, my husband and I talked about it that night, and we made up our minds pretty fast.’’
China announced yesterday that it will no longer recognise the BNO passport, in retaliation for the new scheme. ‘‘The UK side is attempting to turn a large number of Hong Kong people into second-class British citizens,’’ said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry.
None of this is likely to deter Kwok and the many others expected to begin to apply for the new visas.
Many of those with BNO status have dual nationality. To leave Hong Kong or to enter China, they present their Hong Kong passport – the BNO passport is only needed when entering the UK.
But the move by China represents a rebuke to Johnson. He said shortly before the Chinese announcement: ‘‘We have honoured
our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong, and we have stood up for freedom and autonomy.’’
Many of those taking advantage of the scheme do so with deep feelings of sadness, however, rather than straightforward relief or excitement.
For Crystal Lai (like the Kwoks, her name has been changed), the turning point came when the Hong Kong government announced that all government workers must sign an oath of loyalty.
Lai, a civil servant in her early 30s, said: ‘‘I thought, ‘I don’t serve this government, I serve the people of Hong Kong’. They’re not my boss, and I should be able to express my opinion freely.’’
After the introduction of Beijing’s national security law, she deleted posts from Facebook in which she expressed support for the democracy movement, as well as her account on Telegram, a social media platform used in Hong Kong to exchange information about the protests in 2019.
Lai anticipates a ‘‘difficult’’ conversation when she breaks the news to her parents, who are business people who support the Hong Kong government. Her husband is worried about the standard of his English.
The couple have few clear plans, other than using their savings to support themselves as they resettle in the UK.
‘‘I prefer the south of England because I like warm weather,’’ Lai said. ‘‘But it’s difficult to make decisions, because I don’t know anyone there, and have never been.
‘‘I’ll be fine working as a cashier or a waitress. I’m more concerned about freedom than status or money.’’