Demand for UK property set to rise as Boris Johnson promises visa shake-up to benefit Hongkongers fleeing Beijing’s security law

The prime minister promised Hongkongers ‘one of the biggest changes in our visa system in British history’ if Beijing pushes through the national security law widely seen as a threat to the city’s autonomy

Property agents are already seeing an increase in inquiries about property in cities such as London and Birmingham after Beijing announced its plan to impose the hugely contentious legislation

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Properties worth £1 million (US$1.2 million) in London are typically favoured by Hongkongers. Photo: Knight Frank

Published: 9:00am, 4 Jun 2020Updated: 8:42pm, 4 Jun 2020

A potential change in UK immigration policy that could pave the way to eventual citizenship for Hongkongers who hold a British National (Overseas) passport is likely to result in higher demand for homes in London and Birmingham, analysts said.

Inquiries about UK property had already jumped after Beijing moved to push through a national security law widely seen as a threat to Hong Kong’s autonomy, according to real estate agents in the city.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised Hongkongers “one of the biggest changes in our visa system in British history” if Beijing pushes through the national security law, in an op-ed published in the South China Morning Post and The Times of London on Wednesday.

Under the plan – which will be put in place when Beijing formally enacts the law – every one of the 3 million Hongkongers who qualify for a British National (Overseas) passport and their dependents could relocate to the United Kingdom to stay and work or study for extendable periods of 12 months, creating a path to citizenship.

As of December, 300,000 Hongkongers held a BN(O) passport, while 2.9 million were believed to be eligible for it.

The BN(O) passports were issued to Hongkongers who were born before the 1997 handover. Under current rules, they can visit the UK for up to six months, but are barred from working or applying for citizenship.

London’s announcement came amid renewed tension in the city following Beijing’s approval of a proposal that authorises the National People’s Congress Standing Committee to craft a national security law and impose it on Hong Kong. Those who oppose the law believe it will further erode the freedoms guaranteed to the city by a Sino-British agreement prior to the handover.

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