Thousands could quit former colony

HONG KONG: The number of people from Hong Kong deciding to leave for Britain since Beijing imposed a strict national security law is expected to swell to hundreds of thousands.

Thousands have already made the decision, some because they fear punishment for supporting the pro-democracy protests that swept the former British colony.

THE number of people from Hong Kong making the decision to leave for Britain since Beijing imposed a strict national security law on the Chinese territory last summer is expected to swell to hundreds of thousands.

Thousands have already made the decision, some because they fear punishment for supporting the pro-democracy protests that swept the former British colony in 2019.

Others say China’s encroachment on their way of life and civil liberties has become unbearable, and they want to seek a better future for their children abroad. Most say they do not plan to ever go back.

The moves are expected to accelerate now that five million Hongkongers are eligible to apply for visas to Britain, allowing them to live, work and study there and eventually apply to become British citizens.

Applications for the British National Overseas (BNO) visa officially opened yesterday, though many have already arrived on British soil to get a head start.

The British government said some 7,000 people with BNO passports – a travel document that Hongkongers could apply for before the city was handed over to Chinese control in 1997 – have arrived since July on the previously allowed six-month visa.

It estimates that over 300,000 people will take up the offer of extended residency rights in the next five years.

Andrew Lo, founder of Anlex Immigration Consultants in Hong Kong, said: “Before the announcement of the BNO visa in July, we didn’t have many enquiries about UK immigration, maybe less than 10 a month.

“Now we receive about 10 to 15 calls a day asking about it.”

Mr Lo said that with the new visa, the barrier to entry to move to the UK becomes extremely low, with no language or education qualification requirements.

BNO passport holders need to prove that they have enough money to support themselves for six months and prove that they are clear of tuberculosis.