A new visa plan offering millions of Hong Kong residents a path to British citizenship will be put in place on Sunday as the UK opens its doors to those who want to escape repression from China’s dissent.
From Sunday afternoon, anyone with a British National Overseas Passport (BNO) and their dependents will be able to apply online for a visa that will allow them to live and work in the UK. After five years, they can apply for citizenship.
The immigration scheme is a response to Beijing’s decision last year to impose a national security law in Hong Kong to eliminate the huge and often violent democratic protests.
Britain has accused China of breaking its promise before the transfer from Hong Kong in 1997 that the financial center would maintain key freedoms and autonomy for 50 years. London argued that it had a moral duty to protect its former colonial subjects.
“We have honored our deep ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong and defended freedom and autonomy,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week.
China has reacted furiously to the visa offer and announced on Friday that BNO passports will no longer be recognized as a legitimate travel or identification document.
The move was largely symbolic, as Hong Kongers tend to use their own passport or ID card to leave the city.
But Beijing said it was willing to take “additional measures”, raising fears that authorities would try to prevent Hong Kongers from marching on Britain.
Cindy, who landed in London last week, is one of thousands of Hong Kongers fleeing her hometown since Beijing imposed a draconian national security law on the territory last summer.
“Rooting in this way is definitely not easy. But things got uglier last year, the government really pushed us away, ”said the businesswoman and the mother of two young children who did not give her last name because she feared the repercussions of speaking out against the Chinese government. “Everything we value – freedom of speech, fair elections, freedoms – has eroded. It’s no longer Hong Kong we knew, it’s no longer a place we can call home.
“The Chinese government said it has not ruled out tougher tactics,” he said. “I think they could be missing out if tens of thousands of young professionals started leaving, because that would surely upset Hong Kong’s economy and they wouldn’t like it at all.”
It is unclear how many Hong Kongers will accept the offer, mainly because the coronavirus restricts global flights and traffic jams in much of the world, including Britain, in painful economic turmoil.
The BNO passport is available to approximately 70% of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million population and applications have skyrocketed by more than 300% since national security law was enacted last July, with 733,000 holders registered in mid-January.
Britain predicts it could reach up to 154,000 Hong Kongers next year and up to 322,000 in five years.
Recently, the BNO passport has become one of the few exits for Hong Kongers hoping to start a new life abroad as authorities carry out mass arrests against supporters of democracy and move to purge the restless city of dissenting views.
Stella, a former marketing professional, plans to move to Britain imminently with her husband and three-year-old son.
“The National Security Act of 2020 gave us one last blow because the provisions basically criminalize freedom of expression,” he said.
According to the visa plan, those waiting to move must prove that they have sufficient funds to support both themselves and their dependents for at least six months.
Hong Kongers who are already in Britain and are involved in helping others move say many of the first applicants are usually middle-class people with education, often with young families, who have enough liquidity to fund their move.
“Most of the people we talk to are families with children in primary or early childhood,” said Nic, an activist in a group called Lion Rock Hill UK, who asked for anonymity.
Earlier this week, Britain said around 7,000 people had moved over the past six months under an independent Leave Outside the Rules (LOTR) system. They will also be able to apply for road visas from the public.
“The BNO is definitely a lifeboat for Hong Kongers,” said Mike, a medical scientist who recently moved with his family to the city of Manchester.
Agence France-Presse and Associated Press contributed to this report.