The United Kingdom is set to launch a special visa’s for Hong Kong residents from Sunday, around 300,000 people are expected to leave Hong Kong for Britain using a new visa route.
Hong Kong’s British National (Overseas) passport holders and their immediate dependents will be able to apply for the visa using a smartphone app.
Around 7,000 people from Hong Kong have already entered the United Kingdom since July with the intentions of settling, the Home Office said.
The Chinese foreign ministry said from 31 January, it will no longer recognise the British National (Overseas) passport as a travel document.
The documentation will not be considered as proof of identity either, China said, and they “reserve the right to take further measures”.
Beijing has warned the UK about involvement urging the nation not to meddle in what they see as domestic affairs.
However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the move honoured the UK’s “profound ties of history and friendship” with the ex-British colony.
Despite there are 2.9 million citizens eligible to move to the UK, with a further estimated 2.3 million dependants, the government expects about 300,000 people to take up the offer in the first five years.
Mr Johnson said: “I am immensely proud that we have brought in this new route for Hong Kong BNOs to live, work and make their home in our country.
“In doing so we have honoured our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong, and we have stood up for freedom and autonomy – values both the UK and Hong Kong hold dear.”
British National (Overseas) passports were created before the UK handed responsibility for Hong Kong back to China in 1997, the UK and China made an agreement to introduce “one country, two systems”, which meant, among other things, rights such as freedom of assembly, free speech and freedom of the press would be protected in Hong Kong – many have now said this agreement has been breached.
The agreement signed in 1984 and was set to last until 2047, the UK has said the Joint Declaration – is under threat because the territory passed a new law in June that gives China sweeping new controls over the people of Hong Kong.
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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