Letters | UK and Boris Johnson must make good on promises to Hong Kong people

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Chinese and British flags and paper lanterns are strung across Gerrard Street in London’s Chinatown on October 19, 2015, ahead of a state visit by President Xi Jinping. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:10pm, 5 Jul 2020Updated: 2:10pm, 5 Jul 2020

Dear Boris Johnson,

Thank you for magnanimously proposing eventual British citizenship to British National (Overseas) passport holders in Hong Kong and their dependants.

The Chinese central government passed the national security law in Hong Kong on June 30, within a fortnight of announcing their intention to do so. Now that the political statement has been made, it will be helpful if the UK, too, releases to Hong Kong residents a clear road map to this citizenship and details of the proposal and provisions thereunder.

By welcoming 3 million Hong Kong citizens with BN(O) passports, the Chinese population in the UK would go up to around 3.4 million, about 5 per cent of the country’s population, with many being economic migrants.

As a democracy, to ensure the citizens of the UK are in agreement with your proposal, I am sure you will refer the matter of an additional 3 million immigrants to your existing population with a referendum like the one on Brexit.

How does the UK government plan to offer the new immigrants housing, medical coverage and other social safety nets while minimising resistance from the majority to such a large influx? Please make your plans public.

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.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | UK and Boris Johnson must make good on promises to Hong Kong people

Letters | UK and Boris Johnson must make good on promises to Hong Kong people