UK could offer ‘path to citizenship’ for 300,000 in Hong Kong amid China fears

The UK could open the "path to citizenship" for up to 300,000 people in Hong Kong after China passed a controversial security law that is seen as extending Chinese rule over the autonomous city.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, "Visa rights will be extended for British National (Overseas) passport holders as the dispute with Beijing over the reforms to Hong Kong residents' rights escalated," reported Bloomberg.

They have the right to visit the UK for up to six months without a visa, Raab said, reported BBC.

The plan would give a path to citizenship for holders of British National (Overseas) (BNO) passport holders in Hong Kong. These estimated 300,000 people were given BNO passports by the UK before it handed over rule of Hong Kong to China in 1997, but they are currently limited to six month stays in the UK.

"If China continues down this path and implements this national security legislation, we will remove that six-month limit and allow those BNO passport holders to come to the UK and to apply to work and study for extendable periods of 12 months and that will itself provide a pathway to future citizenship," said Raab on Friday, reported Bloomberg.

What did Raab say?

British National (Overseas) passports were issued to people in Hong Kong by the UK before the transfer of the territory to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.

Announcing the possible change in policy, Raab said the six-month limit on stays in the UK for BNO holders would be scrapped.

"If China continues down this path and implements this national security legislation, we will remove that six-month limit and allow those BNO passport holders to come to the UK and to apply to work and study for extendable periods of 12 months and that will itself provide a pathway to future citizenship," he said.

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Landale says that in Beijing the threat will be seen as an escalation and is likely to prompt a robust response.

China might not mind if some pro-democracy campaigners escape to the UK but the flight of talented wealth creators would be of concern, our correspondent says.

Some MPs want the UK to go further and offer automatic citizenship. Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, said BNO holders should have an automatic right to live and work in the UK.

The government has in the past rejected calls to give BNO holders in Hong Kong full citizenship.

Last year more than 100,000 people in Hong Kong signed a petition calling for full rights. The government responded by saying that only UK citizens and certain Commonwealth citizens had the right of abode in the UK and cited a 2007 review which said giving BNO holders full citizenship would be a breach of the agreement under which the UK handed Hong Kong back to China.

However, in 1972 the UK offered asylum to some 30,000 Ugandan Asians with British Overseas passports after the then-military ruler Idi Amin ordered about 60,000 Asians to leave. At the time some MPs said India should take responsibility for the refugees, but Prime Minister Edward Heath said the UK had a duty to accept them.

What other reaction has there been?

Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy earlier said the UK had to be more robust with Beijing.

Referring to the security law, she told the BBC: "This is the latest in a series of attempts by China to start to erode the joint declaration which Britain co-signed with the Chinese government when we handed over Hong Kong, and protected its special status."

"We want to see the UK government really step up now," she said.

Former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the UK should bring together a coalition of countries to avoid a tragedy in the territory.

He told the BBC: "This is definitely the most dangerous period there has ever been in terms of that agreement.

"With our unique legal situation, Britain does have a responsibility now to pull together that international coalition and to do what we can to protect the people of Hong Kong."

On Thursday Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: "We are deeply concerned about China's legislation related to national security in Hong Kong.

"We have been very clear that the security legislation risks undermining the principle of one country, two systems.

"We are in close contact with our international partners on this and the Foreign Secretary spoke to US Secretary [Mike] Pompeo last night."

He added: "The steps taken by the Chinese government place the Joint Declaration under direct threat and do undermine Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy."

On Wednesday, Pompeo said developments in Hong Kong meant it could no longer be considered to have "a high degree of autonomy" from mainland China.

This could lead to Hong Kong being treated the same as mainland China under US law, which would have major implications for its trade hub status.