An exiled leader of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement has said the UK government risks reneging on its commitment to the people of its former colony by changing legal immigration routes.
Former Hong Kong politician Nathan Law, who arrived in the UK in 2020 and has a bounty on his head, said the government should consider its moral obligations to extend the standard qualifying period for permanent residence by a decade.
He said the proposed changes to asylum laws were creating new concerns and uncertainty for Hong Kongers forced to flee their homes as a result of changes in the territory’s politics in recent years after its handover to China in 1997.
People born in Hong Kong before 1 July 1997 and their dependents who have registered for British National Overseas (BNO) status will not be affected by the existing five-year waiting period for leave.
Law, who was born in mainland China, said there remains a concerned group of people without BNO status who have been forced to leave their homes due to political persecution and that Britain has a moral obligation to all of them.
The changes to asylum laws have been described by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as plans to make Britain’s settlement rules “the most controlled and selective they have ever seen in Europe”.
There is ongoing internal government debate about whether more restrictive requirements will apply to people who are already in the UK, or only to people arriving in the future.
Law said: “The commitment to Hong Kong is not just for people with BNO status. There is a broader commitment and moral obligation. I think when they think about the situation of Hong Kong refugees, they should think about that. I think that obligation extends to people who are fleeing the political situation in Hong Kong because that is part of the history between Hong Kong and Britain.”
The law came to prominence in 2014 during the “Umbrella Movement” protests, which called for universal suffrage for Hong Kongers.
Following the protests, Law, Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow formed the political party Demosisto. Four candidates, including Law, won seats but were later disqualified.
The trio were prominent voices of the protest movement in 2019 and have been the targets of frequent arrests amid allegations of receiving foreign influence. When people violated restrictions on gatherings imposed due to the pandemic to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre, they fled the area after being charged with unauthorized assembly. Asylum legislation came into force in the UK in 2021.
Law said: “If (the waiting period) changes it will add uncertainty to my life as well as the already increasing pressure from the Chinese government where they launch brutal personal attacks.
“The concern is that you really want a feeling of being settled, a feeling of finding your home, a feeling of permanent residence. That’s paramount for people who have fled political violence. We’re trying to find a safe place.”
Law said he believed permanent residence and a British passport would provide him with greater security at home and when traveling abroad. Hong Kong authorities are offering a reward of HK$1m (£100,581; $127,637) for information leading to his capture.
Last year, three men were charged with national security crimes for foreign interference, including assisting Hong Kong’s intelligence service and spying on law enforcement and other exiled activists.
He said: “I have seen evidence that surveillance was done, so I have legitimate grounds to think that I may not be in the safest situation. I’m confused. I’m not sure what the next step is.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We remain firm in our commitment to provide asylum and assistance to the people of Hong Kong through dedicated immigration routes.
“Anyone found to be at risk of persecution or serious harm will not be expected to return to Hong Kong.”
<a href