Image copyright
fake pictures
The offer was made after China imposed a new security law in Hong Kong.
The UK government revealed the conditions under which nearly three million Hong Kong residents will be able to start a path to citizenship.
British (overseas) national passport holders of Hong Kong and their immediate dependents will be entitled to apply for a special UK visa from January, said Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The offer comes after China imposed a new security law in Hong Kong.
Beijing has already warned the United Kingdom not to meddle in internal affairs.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in May that all British (foreign) or “BNO” passport holders are “Chinese citizens” and that the move “would violate international law.”
However, Ms Patel said on Wednesday that the offer meant that the UK was “keeping our promise” to Hong Kong residents “to defend their freedoms.”
What are the conditions to obtain the special visa?
BNO holders already have the right to visit the UK without a visa for six months.
However, this will now allow them to apply for two 30-month license periods or five years license to stay in the UK and eventually become full British citizens.
Media playback is not supported on your device
BNO holders can bring immediate dependents, including a spouse who does not have a passport, along with children under the age of 18.
No one born after 1997 is entitled to a BNO passport, and it is not passed down from generation to generation. However, the children of the holders who were born in 1997 or later and who are over 18 years of age may submit an application if they are part of a family unit.
Read more about Hong Kong’s new security law
Applicants do not have to have a job before coming to the UK, and there is no minimum wage associated with the visa. However, passport holders must be able to support themselves financially and will not qualify for benefits.
They will need to have a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate and no serious convictions, although those convicted only of crimes related to the recent protests in Hong Kong will still qualify.
They also need to show a commitment to learn English.
Why does the UK offer the special visa?
Hong Kong is a former British colony, which was returned to China in 1997.
But before Hong Kong returned, the UK and China reached an agreement to introduce “one country, two systems”, which meant, among other things, that rights such as freedom of assembly, freedom of expression would be protected and press freedom.
- What is the BNO and what does the UK movement mean?
- Why do we take our BNOs and leave?
The agreement signed in 1984 was to last until 2047.
But the United Kingdom says this agreement, known as the Joint Declaration, is threatened because the territory passed a new law in June that gives China new controls over the people of Hong Kong.
What is the new security law?
The new wide-ranging law:
- Makes “inciting hatred” towards China’s central government and Hong Kong’s regional government illegal
- It allows closed-door trials, wiretapping of suspects, and the possibility of suspects being tried on the mainland
- It means that a wide range of acts, including damaging public transportation facilities, can be considered terrorism
- Requires internet providers to hand over data if requested by police
China has said the law is necessary to avoid the kind of protests observed in Hong Kong for much of 2019. However, the law has raised alarm both in Hong Kong and abroad, and opponents say it erodes the freedoms of the territory as a semi-autonomous region. from China.
You may also be interested in …
Media playback is not supported on your device
