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Holiday plans in tatters as Hong Kong passports held up in UK document fiasco

People applying to renew BN(O) passports must submit SAR travel documents, but the wait to get them back is ruining holiday plans

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Holiday plans in tatters as Hong Kong passports held up in UK document fiasco

People with Hong Kong passports are being denied the chance to travel because their documents are caught up in British bureaucracy.

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Holders of British National (Overseas) passports who want to renew their documents must submit all valid passports in the renewal process - including those issued by Hong Kong.

Hong Kong residents trying to renew British passports have suffered delays of up to four months since the British consulate in the city closed its passport office in December. The cost-saving measure has left business and holiday plans in tatters for many.

The situation is just as bad in Britain, where the government is struggling to clear a backlog of 500,000 applications.

Wai Man-lai, 33, has been without her travel documents for nine weeks. A reduction in fees for passport renewals in April prompted her to renew.

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"I thought it was the perfect opportunity to renew my BN(O) which had already expired," she said. "Thinking back, this was probably a really bad idea."

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