British Nationals Overseas visa scheme opens for Hongkongers

&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpcnt">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpa">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<span class&equals;"wpa-about">Advertisements<&sol;span>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"u top&lowbar;amp">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<amp-ad width&equals;"300" height&equals;"265"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; type&equals;"pubmine"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-siteid&equals;"111265417"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-section&equals;"1">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;amp-ad>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div><p>A new visa scheme allowing some Hong Kong residents the chance to live in the UK comes into force on Sunday&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>An estimated 300&comma;000 Hongkongers are expected to take advantage of the programme&comma; which allows British National &lpar;Overseas&rpar; passport holders in Hong Kong and their dependents a route to residency and eventual citizenship in the UK&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Prime minister Boris Johnson said the British National &lpar;Overseas&rpar; visa scheme – which was announced in the wake of Beijing’s national security law being imposed on Hong Kong last year – honours the &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;profound ties of history and friendship” between the UK and its former colony&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The BN&lpar;O&rpar; status was created before the UK handed responsibility for Hong Kong back to China in July 1997&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Under the new scheme&comma; those with BN&lpar;O&rpar; status will be eligible for UK visas&comma; then&comma; after five years&comma; they will be able to apply for settlement&comma; followed by British citizenship after a further 12 months&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Mr Johnson said&colon; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I am immensely proud that we have brought in this new route for Hong Kong BN&lpar;O&rpar;s to live&comma; work and make their home in our country&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;In doing so we have honoured our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong&comma; and we have stood up for freedom and autonomy – values both the UK and Hong Kong hold dear&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h2>Criticism<&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p>However the Chinese government has criticised the scheme&comma; announcing on Friday it will no longer recognise the BN&lpar;O&rpar; passport as a valid travel document or form of identification&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters&colon; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The British side’s attempt to turn a large number of Hong Kong people into second-class British citizens has completely changed the nature of the two sides’ original understanding of BN&lpar;O&rpar;&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;This move seriously infringes on China’s sovereignty&comma; grossly interferes in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs&comma; and seriously violates international law and the basic norms of international relations&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Responding to the announcement&comma; the prime minister’s official spokesman said&colon; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We have been clear that we will not look the other way when it comes to Hong Kong people with British National &lpar;Overseas&rpar; status who now have a choice to come and live and work and study in the UK&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;And it remains the case that BN&lpar;O&rpar;s and their families can use documentation other than BN&lpar;O&rpar; passports to travel and enter the UK&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>A spokesman for the UK&&num;8217&semi;s Foreign&comma; Commonwealth and Development Office added&colon; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We are disappointed but not surprised by the Chinese decision not to recognise British National &lpar;Overseas&rpar; passports&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Despite China’s announcement&comma; BN&lpar;O&rpar;s and their families will be able to use documentation other than BN&lpar;O&rpar; passports to take up this visa&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;People with BN&lpar;O&rpar; status now have a choice to come and live&comma; work and study in the UK&period; We look forward to welcoming those who wish to settle here&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div style&equals;"padding-bottom&colon;15px&semi;" class&equals;"wordads-tag" data-slot-type&equals;"belowpost">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div id&equals;"atatags-dynamic-belowpost-68e25ade837fb">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<script type&equals;"text&sol;javascript">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;window&period;getAdSnippetCallback &equals; function &lpar;&rpar; &lbrace;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;if &lpar; false &equals;&equals;&equals; &lpar; window&period;isWatlV1 &quest;&quest; false &rpar; &rpar; &lbrace;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&sol;&sol; Use Aditude scripts&period;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;window&period;tudeMappings &equals; window&period;tudeMappings &vert;&vert; &lbrack;&rsqb;&semi;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;window&period;tudeMappings&period;push&lpar; &lbrace;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;divId&colon; 'atatags-dynamic-belowpost-68e25ade837fb'&comma;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;format&colon; 'belowpost'&comma;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&rcub; &rpar;&semi;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&rcub;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&rcub;&NewLine;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;if &lpar; document&period;readyState &equals;&equals;&equals; 'loading' &rpar; &lbrace;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;document&period;addEventListener&lpar; 'DOMContentLoaded'&comma; window&period;getAdSnippetCallback &rpar;&semi;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&rcub; else &lbrace;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;window&period;getAdSnippetCallback&lpar;&rpar;&semi;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&rcub;&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;script>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>


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