Britain will allow more Hong Kong residents to live

 

File photo / Young children in Hong Kong, January 9, 2022 / AP

It has decided to provide opportunities for the establishment, which would create the potential for the survival of thousands of young people under the repressive Chinese rule in the former colony.

The British National Overseas or BNO's plan to give millions of Hong Kongers a chance to become British citizens was launched 13 months ago. The move comes after the Chinese government introduced a national security law in Hong Kong; Critics say the Chinese government's policy has limited the city's independence.

Previously, only Hong Kong nationals born before 1998 were allowed to apply for citizenship under the program. In 1997, Britain ceded Hong Kong to China.

But Kevin Foster, Britain's immigration minister, said in a statement after a session of parliament on Thursday that the new changes were expected to take effect in October.

A statement from the government said, "This is a significant step in the government's decision to allow at least one of the parents and their guardians 18 years of age and above to apply for citizenship separately."

Hong Kong Watch, a UK-based non-profit organization that monitors human rights and freedoms, welcomed the news in a statement. The VOA contacted the Hong Kong CEO's office for comment, but they have not yet received a response.

Massive anti-government protests erupted in Hong Kong in 2019, with protesters protesting violent extradition laws and demanding more freedom. Many of the protesters were under the age of 20.

Beijing passed the National Security Act for Hong Kong in June 2020. The law strictly prohibits acts perceived to be associated with terrorism, separatism, or insurgency.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson has announced that his government is launching a BNO program to help the people of Hong Kong, whose security is at stake through security legislation. However, China did not recognize BNO passports issued to Hong Kong residents after January 31, 2021