As UK announces BNO visa immigration arrangements, China counters by not recognizing BNO passports
On January 29, the British government announced arrangements for applying for British National Overseas Passport (commonly known as BNO) visas to immigrate to the United Kingdom, and opened applications this Sunday (31) to provide a “safe haven” for Hong Kong people facing crackdowns under the National Security Act. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on the same day that it will no longer recognize the so-called BNO passport as a travel document and proof of identity from January 31, and reserves the right to take further measures.
The British government announced new arrangements for BNO immigration, allowing 5.4 million eligible BNO holders in Hong Kong to apply for new visas. The visas give holders the right to stay, study and work, and after five years they can apply to move to the UK and after another year they can apply to become British citizens. The new visa can be applied for online and by appointment from January 31; from February 23, the biometric passport can be scanned using a mobile application, eliminating the need to visit a visa application center to process the application.
Britain announced the immigration application arrangements for Hong Kong people Chinese countermeasures
The British government said the BNO visa arrangement is in response to the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong in July last year, the British side to fulfill its commitment to the historical and moral responsibility of Hong Kong people. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was proud to have defended the freedom and autonomy of Hong Kong. The British authorities also estimated that 123,000 Hong Kong people would apply in the first year, and announced that from July 15 last year to January 13 this year, about 7,000 BNO holders have been approved to stay in the UK.
On the same day, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian announced countermeasures at a regular press conference, saying that since January 31, China no longer recognizes the so-called BNO passport as a travel document or proof of identity, and reserves the right to take further measures.
Zhao Lijian claimed that the British side ignored the fact that Hong Kong has been returned to China for 24 years, disregarded China’s solemn position, blatantly reneged on its promise, insisted on “tailor-made” residence and naturalization policies for Hong Kong residents with British national overseas BNO status, and repeatedly expanded the scope of application, “trying to turn a large number of Hong Kong people This has completely changed the nature of the original Sino-British understanding of BNO.” He added that the British so-called BNO “is no longer the original BNO”, which seriously infringes on China’s sovereignty and interferes in Hong Kong’s affairs and China’s internal affairs, which China strongly indignant and resolutely opposes.
On the same day, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that “China’s implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong is a clear violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and international law,” stressing that Britain will not evade the issue of Hong Kong.
Actual impact unspecified Emily Liu: China has not recognized BNO
The actual impact of China’s non-recognition of the BNO has been hotly debated by Hong Kong people. A netizen said that Hong Kong people use their Hong Kong identity cards to enter and leave the country, and use their Home Visit Permits to return to mainland China, asking “what does it have to do with BNO?” “Some netizens imitated the tone of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “No one wants you to recognize the British travel documents, you have no say in the matter.
Some people also laughed that the Chinese Communist Party‘s move has in fact elevated the BNO from a travel document to a “proof of nationality”; after the Chinese Communist Party did not recognize the BNO, former legislator Wu Zhiwei, who was remanded in custody earlier for failing to hand over the BNO after his arrest, was released without charge. However, some netizens are concerned about whether airline tickets from Hong Kong can no longer be purchased with BNOs, and whether the authorities will pressure airlines not to allow the purchase of tickets with BNOs.
Apple Daily reported that Emily Lau, a former legislator and former chairwoman of the Democratic Party, pointed out that, as far as she knew, the British government had always known that the Chinese side had never used BNOs as identification and travel documents, so she really did not understand how Zhao Lijian’s statement was different from the past, and it was difficult to estimate what the substantive impact would be in the future. She said that the future of Hong Kong people in foreign countries, if holding BNO to the Chinese consulate or embassy for help, the other side may not be accepted, but Hong Kong people can find another British consulate to assist, for example, in April last year, there are Hong Kong people with BNO passports stranded in Peru, can take the British government chartered flights to leave.
In addition, for the reported 7,000 people have arrived in the UK, Emily Lau believes that reflects the concerns and fears of Hong Kong people, especially those with children.
The former Secretary for Security, the New People’s Party’s Yip Lau Suk-yee earlier advocated a ban on “dual nationality” to counteract the British, suggesting that Beijing through the National People’s Congress interpretation of the law to revoke the Chinese nationality of Hong Kong people holding BNO, so that they lose their Hong Kong permanent resident status and voting rights, etc..
The 29th of the media inquiries admitted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs countermeasures in addition to combat the international recognition of BNO and international mobility, will not have any substantive impact on Hong Kong people, Hong Kong people “do not need to rely on the BNO (passport) to travel. As to whether foreign governments recognize the BNO passport as a travel document, should be left to the foreign governments to decide, but do not rule out the friendly government with China or at the request of the Chinese side, do not recognize the BNO as a travel document.
By the evening of January 29, the latest development is the Hong Kong government announced “full cooperation” with the country’s countermeasures against the British handling of the BNO passport, announced several specific measures, including.
First, BNO passports cannot be used to enter or leave Hong Kong, Hong Kong people must use SAR passports and Hong Kong permanent resident identity cards to enter or leave the country; second, BNOs cannot be used as any form of identification in Hong Kong; third, when passengers board flights to Hong Kong, airlines must require Hong Kong residents to present their Hong Kong SAR passports or identity cards; fourth, non-Chinese permanent residents of Hong Kong who do not hold other valid travel documents can apply to the Immigration Department for a visa status certificate for international travel purposes.
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