Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay, has welcomed the Foreign Secretary’s statement in response to Beijing’s latest encroachment on Hong Kong.
The Foreign Secretary said: "If China continues down this path and implements this national security legislation, we will remove that six month limit and allow those BNO passport holders to come to the UK and to apply to work and study for extendable periods of 12 months and that will itself provide a pathway to future citizenship."
British National Overseas (BNO) was a status conferred to those living in the former British colony before it was handed over to China in 1997.
Commenting, Steve said:
“This is a much welcomed statement by the Foreign Secretary and represents an important step in the right direction as we look to review our future relationship with China.
I have been campaigning for British National Overseas passport holders over the past two years and have met with government ministers on many occasions to stress our commitment to the British people living in Hong Kong and raise the possibility of a citizenship pathway for them.
Under the handover agreement, the UK has a legal responsibility to ensure that Hong Kong’s autonomy and essential freedoms are respected.
But the situation in Hong Kong has now deteriorated to a point where it is clear that the Communist Government in Beijing no longer has any intention of respecting the agreement.
Their unacceptable behaviour places our interests and British nationals living in Hong Kong at risk.
This latest offer represents a vital lifeline to many of these British nationals and opens up a more viable route to citizenship to them. I will continue to speak up for them and support any further efforts to safeguard their rights.”