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BN(O) passport holders flee Hong Kong for new life in the UK, fearing Beijing’s tightening control

SCMP, 26 Jan 2021
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Following Britain’s announcement of a new visa scheme for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) passport holders and their dependents, the number of BN(O) passport holders shot up 300 per cent in six months, from 167,000 in July to 733,000 by the end of 2020. London introduced the new scheme in July 2020, calling it a pathway to citizenship in the UK, with applications set to open on January 31, 2021.
An estimated 5.4 million people in Hong Kong will be eligible to apply for the BN(O) visas that allow them to live and work in Britain and eventually become a citizen in six years.
The South China Morning Post spoke with Hongkonger Aby Wong, who recently moved to the UK on “Leave Outside the Rules” status. She made the move after months of citywide anti-government protests in 2019 and Beijing's subsequent imposition of a national security law on the city.


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