Hong Kong Watch launches new report on home fee status for BNO students in UK Parliament

Hong Kong Watch launched a new report on home fee status for students on the British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa scheme in the UK Parliament today, at an event hosted by Hong Kong Watch Patron Lord Alton of Liverpool.

Hong Kong Watch’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Benedict Rogers was joined on a panel by Hong Kong Watch Research and Policy Advisor Thomas Benson, Rex Lee of Hongkongers United, Chloe Cheung of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, and BNO visa holders Amy Wong and Isaac Chan. Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle and Fiona Bruce MP were in attendance.

Chloe Cheung, a 19-year-old working at the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, spoke about how high international fees had prevented her from going to the Russell Group universities from which she had received offers, while Isaac, a 17-year-old BNO, spoke about how the lack of home fees status affected his plans to become a medical student and contribute to the UK, the country that he now calls home. International fees for a medical degree can be upwards of £45,000 a year for five years.

Amy, a BNO from the midlands, spoke movingly about how high international fees for medical degrees had affected her daughter, an excellent student with 97th percentile grades on the UCAT admissions test. In powerful testimony she talked honestly about the feelings of shame experienced by parents who cannot afford, despite their best efforts, to support their children in achieving their academic and career dreams.

Lord Alton endorsed the report and spoke about the importance of honouring the UK’s commitment to young Hong Kongers, who have come to the UK for a better future and yet find themselves forced to wait for up to five years to go to university and start building their careers.

Hong Kong Watch previously successfully campaigned for a change to the law on home fee status for Hong Kongers in Scotland in 2023. As a result of campaign work by Hong Kong Watch and others, and a policy change following a landmark legal ruling (Ola Jasim v Scottish Ministers), the Scottish government announced that free tuition support would be extended to migrant and refugee students living in Scotland who have been in the UK for three years, and have been granted leave to remain.

Hong Kong Watch is now calling on the UK government to follow the lead of the Scottish government and grant home fees status for BNO visa holders who have been in the UK for three years and have leave to remain.

The full report can be read here.

Lord Alton, Patron of Hong Kong Watch, commented:

‘Enabling young Hong Kongers to go to university is not only the right and moral thing to do, it is a sensible investment in the future. I commend our speakers for coming here today and bravely speaking out about the difficulties they face trying to fund an education for themselves or their children. I urge the UK Government to follow the Scottish government’s lead and introduce Home Fees status for BNOs after three years of residency.’

香港監察在英國國會發布BNO本地生學費資格報告

今天，香港監察在英國國會發布關於英國國民（海外）（BNO）簽證計劃本地生學費資格的新報告，發布會由香港監察贊助人奧爾頓勳爵（Lord Alton of Liverpool）主持。

小組討論講者有香港監察共同創辦人兼行政總監羅傑斯（Benedict Rogers）、香港監察研究及政策顧問Thomas Benson、英國香港學生組織Hongkongers United創辦人Rex Lee、香港自由委員會基金會（Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation）傳訊及傳媒助理Chloe Cheung，以及BNO簽證持有人Amy Wong和Isaac Chan。本內特女男爵和Fiona Bruce MP亦有出席。

Chloe Cheung和Isaac Chan談到不符合本地生學費資格對其學業和職業前景有何影響，Amy Wong則從BNO母親的角度，分享因女兒學費不獲政府資助而受到的影響。

奧爾頓勳爵贊同報告所言，並談到英國履行對香港年輕人承諾的重要性。他指他們赴英是為了更好的未來，卻發現自己需要等待長達五年時間才能升讀大學，開始建立事業。

香港監察此前在2023年成功推動蘇格蘭政府修訂法律，讓BNO港人享有本地生學費資格。經過香港監察及其他組織的倡議工作，以及因應一宗具標誌意義的法律裁決（Ola Jasim v Scottish Ministers案件）而推行的政策修訂，蘇格蘭政府宣布，免學費援助將拓展至居住在蘇格蘭、已在英國居滿三年並已獲居留許可（leave to remain）的移民和難民學生。

香港監察現在呼籲英國政府效法蘇格蘭政府，向已在英國居滿三年並已獲居留許可的BNO簽證持有人提供本地生學費資格。

請在此處閱讀報告全文。

香港監察贊助人奧爾頓勳爵表示：

「讓香港年輕人升讀大學不但是應有之義，而且是對未來的明智投資。我讚揚各位講者今天來到這裏，勇敢講出設法為自己或子女提供教育經費時遇到的困難。我促請英國政府仿效蘇格蘭政府的做法，向符合三年居留要求的BNO港人提供本地生學費資格。」