India disowns BNO holders

India confirmed it has revoked the citizenship of Hong Kong residents holding British National (Overseas) passports, making Indians potentially stateless after the handover.

An Indian Consulate-General statement said that, under the nation's law, Indian citizenship was automatically terminated once a passport/authentic travel document of another country was acquired. Indian residents will be eligible to apply for full British citizenship under a scheme announced in February.

The scheme will save an estimated 8,000 members of ethnic minorities from becoming stateless.

Pakistani residents holding both passports also want to become eligible for British citizenship. The Pakistan Consulate-General has said its citizens' passports become invalid if they obtain a BNO but not a full British passport.