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The British BNO visa channel for Hong Kong citizens will open on January 31. An estimated 300,000 people will leave Hong Kong through this policy.
The full name of the BNO visa is the British National (Overseas) Visa. Hong Kong people with BNO passports and their close family members will be able to apply for this visa through a mobile app.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared that this move “fulfilled” the “deep historical connection and friendship” between Britain and the former British colony.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the UK stated on the 29th: “If the British side ignores the strong opposition from China and the repeated representations to provide a path for the relevant people to remain and naturalize in the UK United, it will seriously violate its commitments, seriously interfere in China’s internal affairs, and seriously violate international law and international relations. Basic principles. China has declared its solemn position many times and will respond strongly. “
The British BNO visa policy was introduced after China implemented the National Security Law in Hong Kong.
Beijing had previously warned Britain not to interfere in its internal affairs.
Under this policy, people who apply for and obtain a visa successfully will be able to apply for permanent resident status after five years of living in the UK, and they can apply for British citizenship 12 months after obtaining permanent status.
There are 2.9 million Hong Kong citizens who can apply for BNO visas and their dependents are estimated to number 2.3 million. But the British government predicts that some 300,000 people will use this policy.
Johnson said: “I am very proud of the new ways we are giving Hong Kong BNO holders a new way to live, work and settle in the UK.”
“Through this move, we have fulfilled the deep historical connection and friendship between the British and Hong Kong people, and we have safeguarded the freedom and autonomy that the UK and Hong Kong also cherish.”
The fee to apply for a five-year BNO visa will be 250 pounds per person (approximately US $ 343 and HK $ 2,639), and the fee to apply for a 30-month visa is 180 pounds (approximately US $ 247 and HK $ 1,900). ), and An additional payment of up to 624 pounds (approximately US $ 850, HK $ 6,587) is required for medical and health expenses each year.
Eligible applicants can apply online, after which they must make an appointment to visit the visa application center.
Many Hong Kong people have BNO passports and HKSAR passports.
Beginning February 23, eligible BNO qualifiers with specific biometric passports will be able to complete the application at home via the mobile app.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel (Peng Dailing) said that because the applicant may be concerned about being identified and targeted by the authorities, this approach is to give the applicant greater security.
“The protection of individual liberty, liberty rights and security is of the utmost importance to those who go through this process,” he said.
The BNO identity was created prior to the handover of sovereignty from Hong Kong to China in 1997.
Before the transfer of sovereignty to Hong Kong, Great Britain and China reached a consensus on the implementation of “one country, two systems”, which means that freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and freedom must be protected. Of the media.
This agreement was signed in 1984 and will last until 2047 as planned.
House of Lords debates whether to grant BNO passport holders the right of residence in the UK
However, the UK stated that because the National Security Act passed in June last year gave China great new control over the people of Hong Kong, the Sino-British agreement, the Joint Declaration, is under threat. .
China previously stated that the National Security Law is necessary to prevent demonstrations in 2019. However, this law has sparked vigilance both in Hong Kong and abroad, and opponents claim it has eroded Hong Kong’s freedom as a semi-autonomous region. from China.
analysis
James landale
The British government promised to make a positive contribution to the world, and this new visa system to help British citizens escape Hong Kong may be the clearest manifestation of this promise.
It is one thing to condemn the repression, and another to do something about it.
Now the UK is fulfilling its commitments made more than two decades ago to those it is bound to protect.
But there are still some problems.
What kind of support will these immigrants receive?
In the long term, they are likely to enrich Britain’s economic and cultural development, but in the short term they will need help.
Where will they live? Where will they find work? What if more than 300,000 people came to the UK in the first five years? How would the British respond to the opening of their country’s borders?
The bigger question is how will China fight as promised? Will Beijing ban BNO holders from becoming public officials, forbidding them to vote or even leave Hong Kong? What will the UK do then?
