On June 26, 1999 the National People's Congress Standing Committee revoked the right of local parents to bring to the city children born on the mainland before one of their parents became permanent residents of Hong Kong.
Today, right-of-abode claimants are still battling to reunite with their families.
For most, the saga began in the mid-1990s when rumours began circulating on the mainland that Hong Kong's immigration policy would be relaxed to allow children of Hong Kong residents to settle in the city after the 1997 handover.
As a result, shortly after the Basic Law came into effect, local courts were flooded with cases involving mainland-born children claiming they had the right to settle here.
The Basic Law did not specify whether at least one parent had to be a permanent resident of Hong Kong at the time of their child's birth. After several trials and appeals the Court of Final Appeal delivered two landmark rulings in favour of abode seekers on January 29, 1999.
The government reacted by warning the public that 1.67 million mainlanders - costing an extra $700 billion in tax dollars each year - would flood the city as a result of the ruling.