Why is UK offering citizenship to Hongkongers with BNO passport?

As Hong Kong struggles with massive protest over China’s proposed national security law, the United Kingdom on May 29 said it is looking for a path to offer citizenship to Hongkongers with BNO passport. UK’s Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was "deeply concerned" at China's proposals, adding that the country will continue to explore options to allow BNOs to stay in the UK.

In a statement, she said: "If China imposes this law, we will explore options to allow British Nationals Overseas to apply for leave to stay in the UK, including a path to citizenship. We will continue to defend the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong."

What is BNO passport?

Hongkongers born before 1997, when the British colony was returned to China, are eligible to apply for BNO passport. Hong Kong has over 300,000 BNO passport holders who already have the right to visit the UK for up to six months without a visa. Besides, over 2.9 million people are eligible for a BNO passport, as per the British Consulate General in Hong Kong.

A travel document with no citizenship rights, a BNO passport entitles people to some consular assistance outside of Hong Kong and China. Though a BNO passport allows a person to stay in UK for upto six months, it doesn’t grant permission to work or reside permanently in the country. Moreover, the status cannot be transferred from BNO passport holders to their kids. 

Why is UK offering citizenship?

UK believes “China's proposed national security law for Hong Kong is in direct conflict with its obligations under the Joint Declaration. If enacted, this law would violate Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms.”

Hong Kong was returned to China with some conditions including the region's high level of autonomy and maintaining certain rights. These rights include freedom of speech. If the new plan proposed by China passes as law, it would make it a crime to undermine Beijing's authority in Hong Kong. As many fear that the new bill would pose threat to Hong Kong's unique status, it has been facing criticism and condemnation from several countries, including UK.

Read: China Says US Action On Hong Kong 'doomed To Fail'

After China’s Assembly formally approved a plan to impose controversial national security legislation in Hong Kong, UK stepped in to condemn the move. UK threatened to scrap the six-month stay limit and proposed to offer citizenship and work to the BNO holders. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said if China goes on to officially implement the law, BNO passport holders would be allowed to "apply to work and study for extendable periods of 12 months and that will itself provide a pathway to future citizenship".

“If China continues down this path and implements this national security legislation we will change that status, and we will remove that six-month limit and allow those BN(O) passport holders to come to the UK and to apply to work and study for extendable periods of 12 months, and that would itself provide a pathway to future citizenship,” Raab said in a statement.

Later the Home Office in a blog clarified that the rights would cover anyone eligible to apply for a BNO passport currently living in Hong Kong, of which there are an estimated 2.9 million people. Most of the additional 2.55 million people have held a BNO passport in the past but not renewed it. 

The Home Office said the move was made because “the new security law will undermine the existing legal commitments to protect the rights of Hong Kong people.”

Read: US To Block Some Chinese Students, Strip Hong Kong's Special Status

UK, US, Canada and Australia issue joint statement

The UK, US, Canada and Australia also issued a joint statement on May 28 criticising the security bill. The signatories had expressed “deep concern” over the security law 

“Direct imposition of national security legislation on Hong Kong by the Beijing authorities would dramatically erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and the system that made it so prosperous,” the statement read.

“It also raises the prospect of prosecution in Hong Kong for political crimes, and undermines existing commitments to protect the rights of Hong Kong people,” it added.

China hits back at UK

After UK’s pledge to offer citizenship, China hit back saying it would violate a memorandum agreed by the two countries earlier as per which the UK would not give Hong Kong BNO passport holders right of residency. Cornered on a global level, China warned the UK of countermeasures and Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the UK and China had agreed that holders of BNO passports should not enjoy UK residency. 

"All such BNO passport holders are Chinese nationals and if the UK insists on changing this practice it will not only violate its own stance but also international law," he added.

"We urge the related countries to respect China's sovereignty (and) stop interfering in Hong Kong's and China's internal affairs," Zhao Lijian said in response to the joint statement by countries.

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Read: UK Considering Citizenship Path For Hong Kong Nationals Due To China's New Security Law