About 7,000 people in Hong Kong have fled to Britain since China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong, and the British government expects more than 300,000 to obtain extended residency rights over the next five years on the PA.
Why does it matter: The announcement comes as Britain opened a new visa scheme on Sunday – a day after China said it would no longer recognize Hong Kong’s British National Overseas Passports (NBO) as valid travel documents or proof of identity.
News management: The UK government announced in July last year that security law had adopted a new path to British citizenship for Hong Kong citizens qualifying for BNO status, which was granted to those living in the city before the British government handed over its former colony. back to China in 1997.
- According to the offer, these Hong Kongers and their dependents have the right to remain in the UK for five years, during which time they can work or study.
- They could then apply for “established status” and, after an additional year, citizenship, notes Axios Dave Lawler.
The whole picture: Some in Hong Kong have said they are leaving because they are worried they will be punished for supporting the pro-democracy protest movement – which has seen several prominent figures arrested or imprisoned in recent months.
- “Many others” said that China’s erosion over the high degree of autonomy they had previously enjoyed had become “unbearable” and wanted their children to have a better future.
- “Most say they do not intend to ever return,” the AP notes.