LAURA Kuenssberg has outlined why the UK’s ability to welcome Hong Kong citizens into its borders is “testament” to Brexit.
The BBCs political editor used the Hong Kong situation to highlight that the UKs departure from the EU would allow it further control over its borders. Her comments follow Prime Minister Boris Johnsons announcement yesterday that as many as three million Hong Kong residents would be offered the chance to settle in the UK after Beijing passed a controversial national security law on the region.
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Many fear that the law will erode the unique freedoms that Hong Kong and its residents have compared to the rest of China.
On June 3, Johnson claimed that if the law were passed, then “Britain would then have no choice but to uphold our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong”.
Now, this latest move sees that claim materialised in the form of an offer for a five-year stay in Britain to Hong Kong residents that hold a British National Overseas Passport.
Its thought that 350,000 Hong Kong residents currently have such a passport, while around 2.6 million others are eligible for one.
Referring to the change in immigration rules in a BBC article yesterday, Laura Kuenssberg said: “The decision is a testament of the principle that the UK out of the EU can make its own decisions about who arrives and who leaves.”
However, it should be noted that even when it was in the European Union, the UK still had control over its immigration policy regarding any country outside of the EU.
Kuennsberg also said that the UKs decision to set relaxed immigration rules for Hong Kong residents stems from its historical ties to the region.
Hong Kong was a British colony after China ceded the region in 1842. It remained so until 1997, when the sovereignty over Hong Kong was once again given to China.
This transfer was subject to a joint declaration signed by both Britain and China, which ensured that Hong Kong would retain a level of autonomy from Beijing rule under a “one country, two systems” policy.
But Beijings decision to impose controversial national security laws on Hong Kong this week has given rise to fears that Hong Kongs semi-independent status will be threatened.
This, as Johnson said on June 3, would be “in direct conflict with [Chinas] obligations under the joint declaration, a legally binding treaty registered with the United Nations”.
The governments changes to the immigration system yesterday will allow Hong Kong residents with the aforementioned British Overseas Passports to come to the UK for five years, and theyll also be given the right to work or study.
Currently, residents with such passports are only able to come to the UK for six months, so its a big change.
And it goes even further. After five years, Hong Kong residents that remain in the UK will be able to apply for settled status and, after one further year, theyll be able to seek UK citizenship.
Johnson said yesterday: “We made clear that if China continued down this path we would introduce a new route for those with British National (Overseas) status to enter the UK, granting them limited leave to remain with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship. And that is precisely what we will do now.”
Downing Street has said that further details of the bespoke Hong Kong immigration scheme will be released “in due course”.
Laura Kuenssberg added that, in a sharp contrast to the immigration laws relating to Hong Kong, MPs had just one day earlier backed an Immigration Bill that would end freedom of movement.
That bill is part of the governments move to a points-based immigration system due next year.
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