UK expands Hong Kong visa scheme in wake of Jimmy Lai’s prison sentence | Hong Kong
Following the 20-year prison sentence handed down to pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, ministers have opened visas to thousands more people from Hong Kong.
Adult children of British National (Overseas) status holders who were under 18 at the time of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997 will be entitled to apply for this route independently of their parents, a Home Office spokesman told the Guardian on Monday.
Their partners and children could also move to the UK under the extended route, the Home Office said. The Home Office estimates 26,000 people will come to the UK over the next five years due to Monday’s changes.
The expansion came hours after British-Hong Kong media mogul Lai, 78, was handed a “heartbreakingly cruel” sentence. His family says his health is rapidly deteriorating and he will die in prison.
Dozens of MPs called on the government to ensure changes to permanent residence requirements do not lead to the withdrawal of humanitarian visa support for Hong Kongers and others.
In 2020, following the introduction of Beijing’s national security law in Hong Kong, the UK government announced a new visa scheme that would allow BNO passport holders there to come to Britain and gain settled status after five years and citizenship after a year.
Since the BNO route for Hong Kongers was launched, more than 230,000 people have been granted visas and nearly 170,000 have moved to the UK.
Expanding the route closes an eligibility gap that has led to inequitable outcomes within families, with some children able to be resettled and others not.
Keir Starmer discussed Lai’s situation directly with President Xi during his recent visit to Beijing. Following the sentencing, the government said it would “expeditiously deal” with Lai’s case.
In December, 34 Labor MPs said they had “significant concerns about the potential negative consequences” of changes announced in November to indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which allows immigrants to live, work and study in the UK permanently, then obtain British citizenship.
They have written to Immigration Minister Mike Tapp asking him to ensure the new requirements are not applied retroactively to around 200,000 Hong Kongers granted BNO visas from 2021 by the previous Conservative government after fleeing a crackdown from Beijing.
Of particular concern is the newly announced requirement for an “upper intermediate” (B2) level of English, raised from “intermediate” (B1), and the requirement to earn more than £12,570 a year for at least three to five years to be eligible to apply for ILR.
The government has announced that Hong Kongers will be able to apply for settled status after five years, unlike other immigrants, which will extend the period to 10 years.
The government said it was consulting on salary thresholds and language requirements.
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said: “This country will always honor its historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong. We are proud to have provided a safe haven to Hong Kongers worth almost $170,000 since 2021. In the face of a continuing deterioration in rights and freedoms, we are now expanding eligibility so more families can build new lives here.
“While we must restore order and control at our borders, the British people will always welcome those who genuinely need refuge.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “While Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms continue to erode, this government’s support for its people remains unwavering and that is why we are ensuring that young people who are unable to benefit from resettlement protection because of their age are now included.”
