London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Nov 17, 2025

UK-based HK critics alerted to risk of extradition abroad

UK-based HK critics alerted to risk of extradition abroad

The British government has warned some Hong Kong critics in the UK about traveling abroad, according to high-profile human rights advocate Bill Browder, highlighting concerns about the cross-border reach of the territory’s National Security Law.
Browder, a well-known lobbyist for the use of sanctions against national governments involved in human rights abuses, said that he was contacted by the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office earlier this month after he was named in a Hong Kong court during a foreign collusion case.

“[The] British government contacted me and other activists who were advocating for Magnitsky sanctions against Hong Kong officials to avoid traveling to countries with Hong Kong extradition treaties, to avoid getting ensnared in China’s new National Security Law,” Browder wrote on Twitter.

A Bloomberg report said that the foreign office had contacted Browder by e-mail, and an official later informed him via videoconferencing about which countries can extradite people to Hong Kong.

Browder did not detail other individuals who had been contacted. The British foreign office told Bloomberg that it could not comment on private meetings.

The National Security Law, introduced in June last year, broadly outlaws a host of acts and activities as foreign collusion, secession, subversion and terrorism.

So far, it has been used to arrest more than 140 people, including democracy advocates, students, media executives, journalists and human rights advocates.

Charges have been filed against about half of those arrested, and some individuals who have since fled overseas are subject to warrants under the law.

The law claims international jurisdiction, prompting concerns that it could be used to target people suspected of breaching it even if they are overseas.

Hong Kong has 19 extradition agreements with other nations, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and Portugal.

In response to the imposition of the National Security Law, several countries — including the UK, Australia, Germany, France and the US — tore up their agreements with Hong Kong.

China has at least 59 extradition agreements, including with countries across Asia and Europe, although not all have been ratified.

Several countries, including France and Australia, have indicated that they would not ratify their agreements.

Some countries urge caution when traveling to Hong Kong because of the law.

The official UK travel advisory warns of “a risk for those who commit an offence under the law of being detained and removed to mainland China.”

“The legislation states that [national security] offences apply to activities conducted both inside and outside Hong Kong, which in practice could include activities conducted in the UK,” it says. “China’s mainland authorities could under certain circumstances detain and try individuals who commit an offence, or are accused of committing an offence, under the terms of this law.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Orders Twitter Hacker to Repay £4.1 Million Following 2020 High-Profile Breach
Popeyes UK Eyes Century Mark as Fried-Chicken Chain Accelerates Roll-out
Two-thirds of UK nurses report working while unwell amid staffing crisis
Britain to Reform Human-Rights Laws in Sweeping Asylum Policy Overhaul
Nearly Half of Job Losses Under Labour Government Affect UK Youth
UK Chancellor Reeves Eyes High-Value Home Levy in Budget to Raise Tens of Billions
UK Urges Poland to Choose Swedish Submarines in Multi-Billion € Defence Bid
US Border Czar Tom Homan Declares UK No Longer a ‘Friend’ Amid Intelligence Rift
UK Announces Reversal of Income Tax Hike Plans Ahead of Budget
Starmer Faces Mounting Turmoil as Leaked Briefings Ignite Leadership Plot Rumours
UK Commentator Sami Hamdi Returns Home After US Visa Revocation and Detention
UK Eyes Denmark-Style Asylum Rules in Major Migration Shift
UK Signals Intelligence Freeze Amid US Maritime Drug-Strike Campaign
TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025 Celebrates Top Creators Including Max Klymenko as Creator of the Year
UK Growth Nearly Stalls at 0.1% in Q3 as Cyberattack Halts Car Production
Apple Denied Permission to Appeal UK App Store Ruling, Faces Over £1bn Liability
UK Chooses Wylfa for First Small Modular Reactors, Drawing Sharp U.S. Objection
Starmer Faces Growing Labour Backlash as Briefing Sparks Authority Crisis
Reform UK Withdraws from BBC Documentary Amid Legal Storm Over Trump Speech Edit
UK Prime Minister Attempts to Reassert Authority Amid Internal Labour Leadership Drama
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
×