Beijing slams UK over visa fast track for Hong Kong’s BN(O) holders, calls on London to stop ‘staging hypocrisy shows’
- UK says BN(O) holders can now pay an extra £500, on top of existing application fees, to get a visa decision within five working days
- Chinese embassy in UK expresses ongoing opposition towards Britain’s ‘manipulation of the BN(O) visa scheme’ and interference into former’s internal affairs
The Chinese embassy in London on Tuesday evening expressed its ongoing opposition towards Britain’s “manipulation of the BN(O) visa scheme” and interference in China’s internal affairs.
“Facts have fully proven that what the UK has done is a far cry from ‘protecting’ the people of Hong Kong, but aims to smear and disrupt Hong Kong. Such attempts will never succeed,” a spokesman said.
The British Home Office on Monday said the fast-track option would be made available to BN(O) holders “who need to travel urgently”.
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Candidates applying under the priority visa route must pay an extra £500 (US$635) on top of the existing application fees to get a decision within five working days.
Standard applications cost £180 for those seeking to stay in the UK for 30 months, while those looking to live there for 5 years must pay £250.
In a social media post, the British government said the express option was a continuation of the country’s “unwavering commitment to the people of Hong Kong”.
But the Chinese embassy said many “deluded” Hongkongers had found themselves struggling to earn a living and facing discrimination after settling in Britain.
“We urge the UK to get a clear understanding of the reality and the larger trend, stop staging its hypocritical shows, stop misleading people from Hong Kong and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs,” it added.
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Hong Kong families find fresh start in London
The British government has approved 166,420 applications and about 113,500 people had arrived in the UK as of the end of March, according to the latest official figures.
An estimated 5.4 million people out of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million population are eligible for the scheme, which allows successful applicants and their dependents to live, work, and study in Britain for up to five years, after which they can apply for citizenship.
Last November, adult children of BN(O) status holders born on or after July 1, 1997 were also allowed to apply to the route independently from their parents, as well as their dependents, including partners and children aged under 18 years.
Britain, Australia and Canada rolled out bespoke migration pathways for Hongkongers after the national security law came into effect. The UK had described the legislation as a “clear and serious breach” of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration that laid out the conditions for the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty.
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The immigration schemes have contributed to three years of brain drain in Hong Kong, which saw its population decline for three years since 2019.
But official figures released on Tuesday showed Hong Kong’s population had rebounded from 7,346,100 a year ago to 7,498,100 by the end of June.
The government has attributed the increase to stranded residents returning from overseas and the admission of people under various talent schemes.
Additional reporting by Laura Westbrook
