In this photo taken in Hong Kong on June 3, 2020, Reese Tan, a 25-year-old guardian, poses with his Brit (Overseas), or BN (O), in his favorite part of town and where he would do it. . You will miss more if you leave, the bustling shopping and restaurant district of Mongkok.
Anthony Wallace | AFP | fake pictures
The UK offers some 3 million Hong Kong residents a path to British citizenship after a new national security law was imposed on the city, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Wednesday.
That announcement came after Beijing passed and implemented a new national security law in Hong Kong. Raab called the movement “serious and deeply disturbing.”
“The enactment and enforcement of this national security law constitutes a clear and serious violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Parliament on Wednesday.
The Sino-British Joint Declaration signed by then Chinese Prime Minister Zhao Ziyang and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher guarantees Hong Kong’s autonomy under the framework of “one country, two systems.” The city was a British colony for over 150 years before being transferred back to China in 1997.
The new national security law is raising concerns about Beijing’s oversight and the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.
Around 3 million Hong Kong people are eligible to obtain British national (overseas) passports. There were 357,156 BN (O) passport holders as of April 17.
The new measures extend the visa rights of BN (O) passport holders, allowing them to stay in the UK for five years with the ability to work or study. That is much longer than the six months previously allowed.
After five years, passport holders will be able to apply for settlement status and citizenship, according to information on the UK government website.
“This is a set of special, tailor-made arrangements developed for the unique circumstances we face and in light of our historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong,” Raab said in Parliament.
“We want a positive relationship with China. But we will not look the other way in Hong Kong, and we are not going to shirk our historical responsibilities to its people,” he added.
The United States, Australia, and Taiwan are also seeking to help those who wish to leave Hong Kong.
In the United States, a bipartisan bill known as the “Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act” would grant Hong Kongers priority refugee status. Introduced in both houses of Congress this week, the bill would allow those who fear China’s political persecution to leave the city more quickly.
Australia’s federal cabinet will discuss proposals on how to better assist Hong Kong people looking to move down, the Australian reported, citing Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Taiwan established an office on Wednesday to help resettle fleeing Hong Kong people.
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