NEW RESEARCH: As the crackdown continues, UK government must improve lifeline for Hong Kongers and BNOs
A new Hong Kong Watch briefing, launched on the anniversary of the announcement of the BNO visa, presents evidence of the UK government seriously engaging with integration but also shows significant gaps in the UK government’s policy.
CLICK THIS LINK TO READ THE BRIEFING
Young Hong Kongers remain ignored
Chief among our concerns is BNO visa eligibility. The non-dependent 18 to 24-year-old group is not covered by the policy because BNO status could only be granted before 30 June 1997. This is despite this cohort being heavily involved in the 2019/20 protests and are therefore most vulnerable under the draconian National Security Law, which came into force a year ago today.
Some young Hong Kongers fled to the UK after being arrested for their part in the protests in the city, but are being forced back to Hong Kong because they can only switch into student visas from visitor visas by applying from their country of origin. This is putting many at risk of arrest.
International tuition fees a major concern
International tuition fees are proving to be a stumbling block for many Hong Kongers and their families. The BNO visa policy should not be one for the privileged, but it will be if Hong Kongers continue to have to pay yearly tuition of over £20,000 for Higher Education courses in the UK, compared with just £3,800 for universities in Hong Kong. Many other categories of British nationality have been eligible for ‘home fee’ status since 2007. The briefing includes in-depth case-studies on this point.
The visa costs: a barrier for some
While the UK government has offered an integration support package worth £43 million for BNOs, and allowed visa holders to be eligible for accessing public funds if they fall on hard times in the UK, the financial barriers for moving in the first place are prohibitively high. The government should implement a means-tested visa and Immigration Health Surcharge waiver so that all who want to flee Hong Kong can do, regardless of their wealth.
Frozen retirement savings and the complicity of international finance
The financial barriers have been exacerbated by the Hong Kong Mandatory Provident Fund Authority (MPFA) banning early withdrawal of retirement savings for anyone leaving for the UK under the BNO scheme. In a move akin to an asset seizure, the MPFA ruling is being observed by major financial institutions, such as HSBC, meaning firms that are internationally headquartered in the UK are making life much harder for BNOs. The briefing includes in-depth case-studies on this point.
Government support must not be hijacked by pro-Beijing groups
The government support package for BNOs is welcomed, but careful, politically sensitive vetting of implementing groups must be carried out by national and local authorities to ensure that pro-Beijing groups are not given this funding.
The risk of confrontation from pro-Beijing and Chineses Communist Party groups and the threat to personal safety of newly arrived Hong Kongers could increase as UK society re-opens post-lockdown. Proper resourcing for police and intelligence services should be made available to ensure any CCP-connected threats to Hong Kongers are dealt with effectively.
The hostile environment for migrants stalls integration
Many Hong Kongers have testified how employers are unaware of the BNO visa scheme. Reluctance to employ them is borne out of a fear of breaking any immigration rules and being slapped with a fine—a problem made particularly acute over the past decade due to the hostile environment to migrants that has emerged. Greater public awareness building is needed, particularly among employers, to ensure that Hong Kongers are not missing out on job opportunities that will allow them to become flourishing members of society.
Comment
Johnny Patterson, Policy Director of Hong Kong Watch said:
"One year on from the passage of the BNO policy, and the lifeline offered by the British government is needed more badly than ever. It is vital now that the policy is rolled out in a just and equitable way. BNO students should not be expected to pay international fees, councils must be properly resourced to provide language tuition, and the Government must make employers aware of the scheme."
“The British government should urgently take steps to offer a pathway to citizenship for young Hong Kongers who are currently ineligible under the scheme.”
Commenting on reports that leading international financial institutions are working with the Hong Kong government to deny BNOs the right to access their mandatory government pensions, Patterson said:
"If it's true that BNOs are being barred from accessing their pensions when choosing to move, then that would be utterly unacceptable. It sounds like this is essentially an asset grab designed as a disincentive to stop people leaving and to bolster the coffers of the Hong Kong pension pot. Given that property rights, freedom of movement and capital are three of the pillars which set Hong Kong apart as a financial centre, this seems totally self-defeating, but points to the authoritarian paranoia which has marked Hong Kong Government policy in recent weeks - typified by the freezing of Jimmy Lai and Next Media's assets. Obviously if big international brands like HSBC and Manulife become enablers for this type of repression, they should expect a backlash. The irony of a bank who ran an advertising campaign with the slogan 'We are not an island' keeping Hong Kongers money from leaving the city will not be lost on the international public or (I hope) on HSBC's investors."