London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 26, 2025

Britain must improve BN(O) visa scheme to protect vulnerable Hong Kong youths, says UK Home Affairs Committee

Britain must improve BN(O) visa scheme to protect vulnerable Hong Kong youths, says UK Home Affairs Committee

Wednesday's report said that many young pro-democracy activists fleeing Hong Kong were most likely estranged from their families, meaning those who were born after 1997 cannot apply for the scheme.

The UK must close “loopholes” in its British National (Overseas) visa scheme to protect young people who are most at risk of being prosecuted under Hong Kong’s national security law, its Home Affairs Committee has warned.

The committee tasked with scrutinising Home Office policies said the new scheme should be revised to allow young people between the ages of 18 to 24 to apply for a visa separately if they can show their parents are BN(O) holders.


The BN(O) visa scheme introduced in January offers two visa routes — one for BN(O) passport holders and their dependants, and another for their household members, which includes their adult children. Applications for a household member visa must be tied to an application by a BN(O) status holder.

Hongkongers born in British Hong Kong before the handover of July 1, 1997 are eligible for a BN(O) passport.

Wednesday’s report said that many young pro-democracy activists fleeing Hong Kong were most likely estranged from their families, meaning those who were born after 1997 cannot apply for the scheme.

“The Committee warns that loopholes in the scheme could mean that young people aged between 18-24… who make up a significant number of pro-democracy activists and so may be especially vulnerable to political targeting under the new security law, may not be eligible for the scheme even if their parents have BN(O) status,” a statement read.

The committee also urged the UK government to set up an expert casework team to process BN(O) applications, to ensure visas are not refused to protesters who have criminal convictions as a result of participating in a peaceful protest, or other politically-motivated acts “which would not be considered offences under UK law.”

Other measures suggested to protect young Hongkongers included means-tested fee-waivers for visa-related costs and improving official data on the evolving situation in Hong Kong for better processing of asylum applications. The committee also recommended Hongkongers be charged lower domestic higher education fees.

The committee called for the establishment of a new BN(O) resettlement panel to help newly-arrived Hongkongers’ to settle into their new communities.

A British Airways plane in the Hong Kong International Airport.


“Individuals and families arriving from Hong Kong will contribute to our economy and enrich the life of our communities. It is essential that the Government now works with local authorities to provide Hongkongers with a smooth and supportive process of integration into our communities,” committee chair Yvette Cooper said.

The UK has already pledged HK$460 million in funding to help newly-arrived Hongkongers settle in their new homes.

BN(O) visas


Following Beijing’s imposition of the national security law on Hong Kong last year, the UK announced a new BN(O) visa scheme allowing holders to live and study in the UK for a period of five years, with a path to citizenship.

In response, Beijing and Hong Kong stopped recognising the BN(O) passport as a valid travel document.

Since the new visa was implemented in January, more than 34,000 people have applied for the visa. The UK estimates up to 322,000 Hongkongers may apply for the scheme over the next five years.

People queuing to check in for a flight to London at the Hong Kong International Airport.


Long queues have formed at the airport for flights leaving for the UK in recent weeks.

The national security law, which criminalises secession, subversion, terrorist acts and collusion with foreign forces and imposes penalties up to life imprisonment, has been slammed by Western governments as “draconian.”

Since the law’s imposition, the UK has accused Beijing of violating its handover agreement with London, which guaranteed Hong Kong’s rights, freedoms, and autonomy for 50 years.

International rights groups say authorities have used the Beijing-imposed security law to quash political dissent and seriously undermine Hong Kong’s human rights in the year since it came into force. Over 10,000 protesters have been arrested in relation to 2019’s pro-democracy protests and unrest, most of them young people. The local authorities, however, have said it has brought peace and stability, and has only affected a small minority of people.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
×