MPs join Hong Kong Watch’s call to maintain the ‘5+1’ BNO pathway

Yesterday, Members of Parliament and supporters of Hong Kong took part in a photo stunt outside the Palace of Westminster, urging the UK government to maintain the 5-year pathway to settled status on the British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa scheme.

Before a vivid display of golden balloons spelling ‘UK IS OUR HOME’, held by BNO Hong Kongers and friends of Hong Kong, we heard a cross-party appeal from four Members of Parliament, including our Patrons Blair McDougall MP and Tom Tugendhat MP, as well as James Naish MP and Charlotte Nichols MP. We also heard from Hong Kong activist and unionist Christopher Mung, Hong Kong Watch co-founder and Trustee Benedict Rogers, and Hong Kong Watch Senior Research and Policy Advisor Thomas Benson.

The government’s 12 May White Paper Restoring control over the immigration system proposes doubling the time to settled status to ten years for routes including the BNO visa scheme, a move which would severely affect the 200,000 British National Hong Kongers who have used the scheme since 2021 to flee repression in Hong Kong.

Blair McDougall, Labour MP for East Renfrewshire, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hong Kong and Patron of Hong Kong Watch, said:

‘The BNO visa scheme stood as proof that while the territory controlled by the Chinese Communist Party was a place of brutality and oppression, that Britain was a place of sanctuary and freedom. It was a promise made to the British people of Hong Kong, and it’s a promise that we should keep by maintaining the current 5+1 scheme. Beijing may break its promises, Britain should keep its promises.’

Tom Tugendhat, Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Patron of Hong Kong Watch, said:

‘A few years ago, the UK made a promise – a promise to Hong Kongers who had the right already to be part of our community. They had that right because they were British Nationals. Now we are going to keep that promise.The Chinese Communist Party is threatening so many in Hong Kong, but thank God they are able to find freedom here in the United Kingdom.’

James Naish, Labour MP for Rushcliffe, said:

‘We should not move the goalpost for Hong Kongers. They are a valued part of our community, they are welcomed here, and I want to make sure that Great Britain, the United Kingdom keeps its promises that we made when Hong Kongers came here only a matter of years ago.’

Charlotte Nichols, Labour MP for Warrington North, said:

‘I’m proud to represent one of the UK’s largest communities of Hong Kongers. Hong Kongers who came to Warrington did so having been made a promise by the UK government that they could come here, that they could build their lives here, and that under the BNO visa arrangements, in five years they could have permanent status and in an extra year they could be full UK citizens. They have come to this country based on that promise, and that’s a promise that the UK government should uphold.’

Hong Kong activist and unionist Christopher Mung cited his personal experience of fleeing political repression to seek a safe haven in the UK, and emphasised that the BNO scheme is both a humanitarian lifeline and the fulfilment of Britain’s historical responsibility towards the people of Hong Kong.

Our co-founder and Trustee Benedict Rogers emphasised the UK’s ‘historic and moral obligation’ towards Hong Kongers, especially to the nearly 200,000 who are now part of British society and making contributions economically and socially.

Our Senior Research and Policy Advisor Thomas Benson urged the British government to keep its promise of the ‘5+1’ pathway offered to BNOs which would enable them to regain their British citizenship lost in 1997.

This cross-party appeal demonstrates the urgent need for the UK government to stand by its commitment to those on the BNO scheme, following proposed changes to extend the pathway to settlement from 5 to 10 years outlined in the government’s Immigration White Paper published on 12 May this year.

跨黨派議員現身香港監察快閃拍照活動 同聲呼籲英政府維持「5+1」BNO簽證計劃

昨天，多位英國國會議員和支持香港的朋友參與香港監察在國會大樓外舉行的快閃拍照活動，同聲促請英國政府維持BNO簽證計劃的五年定居途徑。

BNO港人和香港朋友舉起「UK IS OUR HOME（英國是我家）」的氣球標語，四位跨黨派國會議員在前面發言支持，當中有香港監察贊助人麥道國（Blair McDougall MP）和董勤達（Tom Tugendhat MP），以及James Naish MP和Charlotte Nichols MP。香港社運及工運人士蒙兆達（Christopher Mung）、香港監察共同創辦人兼信託人羅傑斯（Benedict Rogers）和香港監察資深研究及政策顧問湯柏森（Thomas Benson）亦有發言。

英國政府在5月12日發表白皮書《Restoring control over the immigration system》，當中提議將BNO簽證計劃等簽證途徑獲得定居身分的時間由五年增加一倍至十年，此舉會嚴重影響由2021年起經這個計劃逃離香港打壓的20萬英籍港人。

East Renfrewshire選區工黨國會議員、國會跨黨派香港小組主席、香港監察贊助人麥道國表示：

「BNO簽證計劃表明，中國共產黨控制的香港是充斥殘暴和壓迫的地方，英國則是安全和自由之地。這是向英國香港人作出的承諾，我們應該信守承諾，維持現行5+1計劃。北京或會違背承諾，但英國應該信守承諾。」

Tonbridge選區保守黨國會議員、香港監察贊助人董勤達表示：

「幾年前，英國向當時已經有權成為我們社區一員的香港人，作出承諾。這群港人有這個權利，因為他們是英國國民。現在我們要信守這項承諾。中國共產黨正威脅很多香港人，但感恩他們能夠在英國找到自由。」

Rushcliffe選區工黨國會議員James Naish表示：

「我們不應該搬香港人的龍門。香港人是我們社區的重要一員，他們在這裏受到歡迎。我希望確保英國會信守幾年前香港人來到這裏時作出的承諾。」

Warrington North選區工黨國會議員Charlotte Nichols表示：

「我很自豪能夠代表其中一個英國最多香港人聚居的選區。來到窩寧頓（Warrington）的香港人之所以赴英，是因為英國政府承諾他們可以來到這裏，可以在這裏建立生活，並且根據BNO簽證安排，五年後可以獲得永居身分，再一年後可以正式成為英國公民。他們基於這項承諾來到英國，而英國政府應該恪守這項承諾。」

香港社運及工運人士蒙兆達分享自己逃離政治打壓到英國尋求避風港的個人經歷，並強調BNO計劃既是人道救生艇計劃，也是英國履行對香港人歷史責任的表現。

香港監察共同創辦人兼信託人羅傑斯強調英國對香港人的「歷史和道義義務」，特別是對現已成為英國社會一分子，為英國經濟和社會作貢獻的近20萬港人。

香港監察資深研究及政策顧問湯柏森指出「5+1」入籍途徑能夠讓BNO港人重新獲得1997年失去的英國國籍，促請英國政府信守承諾。

今年5月12日，英國政府發表移民白皮書，當中提議將獲得定居身分年期由五年增至十年。今次跨黨派議員的呼籲行動顯示，政府務必恪守對BNO港人的承諾，維持「5+1」入籍途徑。