UK could offer citizenship to British National (Overseas) passport holders in Hong Kong

The UK could offer British National (Overseas) passport holders in Hong Kong a path to UK citizenship if China does not suspend plans for a security law in the territory, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says.

There are 300,000 BNO passport holders in Hong Kong.

They have the right to visit the UK for up to six months without a visa.

Mr Raab’s statement came after the UK, US, Australia and Canada issued joint condemnation of Beijing’s plan.

The proposed law has been backed by China’s parliament – which endorses decisions made by the ruling Communist Party – and could be in force as early as the end of June. It would make it a crime to undermine Beijing’s authority in Hong Kong.

The four nations said imposing the security law would undermine the “one country, two systems” framework agreed before Hong Kong was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

It guaranteed Hong Kong some autonomy and afforded rights and freedoms that do not exist in mainland China.

 

 

Read more via BBC

Discover more from The Dispatch

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Verified by MonsterInsights