London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

UK would 'have no choice' but to offer path to citizenship to almost 3mn Hong Kongers, PM Johnson said

UK would 'have no choice' but to offer path to citizenship to almost 3mn Hong Kongers, PM Johnson said

If Beijing imposes its new national security law in Hong Kong, Britain will extend a path to citizenship to almost three million eligible residents of the city, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged.
There are some 350,000 people living in Hong Kong who currently hold British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) passports, while some 2.5 million are eligible to get one. The document grants effective permanent residency and the right to work to its holders and "could place them on a route to citizenship," if China delivers on its plan and ramps up security in the autonomous city, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote in the Times on Wednesday.

Britain would "have no choice but to uphold our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong," should Beijing's new national security plan come into force, he said.

BN(O) passports have been issued to permanent residents of the former British colony and their children since 1987, a decade before Hong Kong was transferred back under Beijing's sovereignty. At the moment, it allows visa-free access to Britain for periods of up to six months.

Johnson confirmed what other members of his cabinet, including Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, already told the public. The prime minister said the planned change would be "one of the biggest changes in our visa system in history."

While the potential number of new citizens suggested by Johnson amounts to almost three million – more than a third of Hong Kong's total population – Raab earlier said the government expected up to several hundred thousand people to take the offer.

Some other top officials said their nations may welcome Hong Kongers, who would choose to leave the city rather than live under new security rules. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week that Washington was "considering" welcoming the "entrepreneurial creativity" of Hong Kongers in his country.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said her government would help with the "residence, placement, employment and life" of those Hong Kongers, who would move to the island.

Asked about BN(O) passport holders and their possible exodus to Britain, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said last week that Britain would "breach its own position and pledges as well as international law and basic norms guiding international relations" if it were to boost privileges offered by the document.

"China hopes that the British side will objectively and fairly view the national security legislation for Hong Kong, respect China's position and concerns, refrain from interfering in Hong Kong affairs in any way, and do more to promote Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and China-UK relations," the official said.

The new national security law for Hong Kong, which may come into force in August or September, gives the central government of China more authority to directly deal with terrorism, sedition and other threats in the autonomous city. The legislation comes after months of mass protests and rioting in Hong Kong over what protesters call Beijing's encroaching on their freedoms.

Western nations, including the UK, blamed Beijing for triggering the protests and voiced their support for the demonstrators. China said such statements interfered in its domestic affairs and fanned violence in Hong Kong.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×