LONDON (AP) – Cindy had a comfortable lifestyle in Hong Kong: she owned several properties with her husband, they had a good business. But last year she decided to leave everything behind and move her family to the UK, and not even a global pandemic would influence her decision.
“It is certainly not easy to uproot ourselves in this way. But things got worse last year, the government really kicked us out, “said the businesswoman and the mother of two young children who did not give their last names, as she feared repercussions for ruling against the Chinese government. “Everything we appreciate – freedom of expression, fair choices, freedoms – has been eroded. It’s not the Hong Kong we knew anymore, it’s not somewhere where we can call home. ”
Cindy, who landed in London last week, is one of thousands of Hong Kongers fleeing their hometown since Beijing imposed a draconian national security law on the territory last summer.
Some are leaving because they fear punishment for supporting pro-democracy protests. But many others, like her, say that China’s invasion of their way of life and civil liberties has become unbearable and they want to look for a better future for their children abroad. Most say they never intend to return.
Many confirmed their plans to leave after the UK announced in July that it would open a special immigration route for up to 5 million eligible Hong Kong people to live, work and eventually settle in the UK.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week that the offer shows that Britain is honoring its “deep history ties” with Hong Kong, a former colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, understanding that it will retain its Western-style freedoms and from unseen political autonomy on mainland China.
Applications for the British national overseas visa officially open on Sunday, although many like Cindy have already arrived in Britain to begin with. Eligible Hong Kongers can now come to the UK for six months, but on Sunday they can apply for the right to live and work in the country for five years. After that, they can apply for the established status and then British citizenship.
The UK government said about 7,000 people with British overseas status (BNO) had arrived in July. It is estimated that over 300,000 people will take over the offer of extended residence rights in the next five years.
Cindy said she wants to leave as soon as possible because she fears Beijing will move soon to stop the exodus.
“The Chinese government has said it has not ruled out tougher tactics,” she said. “I think it could be a hit if tens of thousands of young professionals start leaving, because that would definitely upset Hong Kong’s economy and they wouldn’t like it at all.”
Beijing said on Friday it would no longer recognize the NBO’s passport as a travel document or form of identification, and criticized Britain’s offer of citizenship as a measure that “severely violated” China’s sovereignty. It was not clear what effect the announcement would have, as many in Hong Kong have multiple passports.
Beijing has drastically strengthened its stance on Hong Kong after the massive anti-government protests of 2019 turned violent and plunged the city into a crisis of several months. Since the adoption of the security law, dozens of pro-democracy activists have been arrested, and the young leaders of the movement have either been imprisoned or fled abroad.
Because the new law generally defined acts of subversion, secession, foreign collusion and terrorism, many in Hong Kong fear that expressing any form of political opposition – even posting on social media – could put them in trouble.
“I think if you know when to shut up, you’ll be fine staying in Hong Kong,” said Fan, 39, who recently arrived in London. Like Cindy, she didn’t want to give her full name. “I do not want to do that. I can complain about the queen if I want to – I can say anything here. ”
Fan, an animator, has sold his apartment in Hong Kong and plans to slowly build a new life in the UK – a country he has never even visited before. He will not be alone from scratch.
“This is a truly unique wave of emigration – some people have not had time to actually visit the country they are moving to. Many have no experience living abroad, ”said Miriam Lo, who runs Excelsior UK, a relocation agency. “And because of the pandemic, they couldn’t even come and see a house before they decided to buy.”
The British government estimates that there are 2.9 million eligible NBO status holders to move to the UK, with another 2.3 million eligible dependents. The United Kingdom introduced BNO passports in the 1980s for people who were “citizens of the dependent British territories in connection with Hong Kong.” Until recently, passports had limited benefits because they did not confer nationality or the right to live and work in the UK.
Cindy, the businesswoman, was still recovering from the jetlag, but she is optimistic about her future.
“We want to bring Hong Kong’s energy, resources and finances here,” she said. “The movement is for our children, for sure. But we want to build a whole new life here for us too. ”