Webinar recording: BNO Hong Kong Passport Holders - what happens next?
APPG on Migration and APPG Hong Kong co-hosted this webinar on 21 July 2020.
Co-chaired by Baroness Bennett and Lord Teverson, with speakers:
Johnny Patterson - Hong Kong Watch
Simon Cheng - Former Hong Kong Consulate worker granted asylum in the UK
Lord Popat - Conservative Peer
Stephen Kinnock MP - Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific
Jill Rutter - British Future
About the event
Now that China is pressing ahead with new security laws that strip Hong Kong of fundamental freedoms, anyone currently living in Hong Kong and eligible for a BNO passport will be permitted to enter the UK with the right to study and work, for five years. At that point, they will be able to apply for settlement and, after another year, seek citizenship, as will their dependents. There are about 3 million people eligible for a BNO passport in Hong Kong and Boris Johnson has described this as “one of the biggest changes in our visa system in British History.”
With our expert panel, we will explore:
What does the concession offer in practice to BNOs? What clarity is still required?
What preparations should the UK be making - both Government and civil society - to welcome and help with the integration of BNOs who settle in the UK as a result?
What impact does this policy decision have on wider migration issues in terms of pathways to citizenship?