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Opinion | Why Britain’s citizenship offer is a favour to Hong Kong – and China
- Hongkongers have in the past sought foreign citizenship as an insurance policy
- The UK’s offer to almost half of Hong Kong is unlikely to give rise to a wave of migration. Conversely, it makes people more willing to stay in Hong Kong
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Since last year’s anti-extradition movement, the “if we burn, you burn with us” mentality has become the consensus of radical localists. Beijing, as a result, forced through a national security law for Hong Kong.
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Western powers immediately imposed sanctions related to Hong Kong. Overnight, some Hongkongers started panicking. Businesses like immigration consultancies and overseas property agencies expect to make a fortune as they think there will be another wave of migration to countries like Britain, Australia and Canada.
The previous wave of migration was triggered by the 1997 handover. The Sino-British Joint Declaration signed in 1984 did not grant British residency to Hong Kong residents with BN(O) passports, which Beijing recognised only as travel documents.
After the Tiananmen crackdown, Hongkongers felt doomed. They flocked to secure foreign passports of all kinds. Many wanted to flee the city.
To regain people’s confidence, the business sector and government in Hong Kong then convinced Britain to grant citizenship to 50,000 Hong Kong civil servants and professionals. But many others were required to go through the immigration agencies; they paid a high price for what was essentially an insurance policy.
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UK offers Hongkongers with BN(O) passports path to citizenship after new national security law
UK offers Hongkongers with BN(O) passports path to citizenship after new national security law
This time, however, London has offered 3 million Hong Kong residents a path to British citizenship. BN(O) passport holders can now apply to enter or remain in Britain for an initial period of 30 months, extendable by a further 30 months, or a single period of five years. They can become British residents after living there for 5 years, then apply for citizenship the next year.
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