Adult children of BNO status holders, along with their partners and children, can now apply to move to UK independently of their parents
The UK Government has today announced an expansion of its Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa route, which will allow thousands more Hong Kong residents to move to Britain.
Image credit: WikipediaIn a press release published today, the Home Office stated: "Adult children of British National (Overseas) status holders who were under 18 at the time of Hong Kong's 1997 handover to China will now be eligible to apply for the route independently of their parents. Their partners and children will also be able to move to the UK under the expanded route. […] The route's expansion closes a gap in eligibility that has led to unfair outcomes within families, with some children able to resettle and others not."
According to the Home Office, it is estimated that more than 25,000 people could arrive in the UK from Hong Kong over the next five years.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the move honours the UK's historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong and will allow more families to build new lives amid ongoing concerns over rights and freedoms in the territory. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted that the expansion addresses eligibility gaps that previously left some children unable to resettle with their families.
Since 2021, more than 230,000 people have been granted a BNO visa, with nearly 170,000 having already relocated to the UK.
Today's announcement comes on the same day that Jimmy Lai, a British citizen and Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner, was sentenced to 20 years in prison under Hong Kong's National Security Law. The UK Government said the law has criminalised dissent, leading many Hong Kongers to leave the territory.
In response to today's Home Office announcement, Thomas Benson of Hong Kong Watch commented: "We have been raising this issue with the Home Office for over two years, and we are pleased that BNO families split by the eligibility gap will finally be able to reunite in the UK. It is sad, of course, that it has taken the sentencing of Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison for this move to be made, and he remains in our thoughts. Nevertheless, for thousands of children of BNOs who have been separated from their families, unable to leave Hong Kong, this is heartwarming news, and we are pleased to see this gap in the BNO policy finally closed."