Labour welcomes citizenship offer to British nationals in Hong Kong

Lisa Nandy has welcomed the plans announced by the government to offer citizenship to all British nationals in Hong Kong, but warned that it must not become a scheme for “wealthy Hong Kongers to abandon the city and leave others behind”.

Responding to Dominic Raab in parliament this afternoon, the Shadow Foreign Secretary declared that the announcement today is “the right thing to do” in response to developments in China.

She described the actions of the Chinese government as undermining its commitments to the UK and as well as “the commitments that we made to the people of Hong Kong when we signed the Joint Declaration”.

Nandy said: “I am grateful to him for coming to the House today to make this statement, for advanced sight of it and most of all to honour the promise he made on the 2nd June. He is right to do so and he has our support.”

She asked Raab to set out greater detail on the plans, in particular whether salary thresholds would apply, explaining: “This must not become a scheme simply for wealthy Hong Kongers to abandon the city and leave others behind.”

She also highlighted that the new security law imposed today by the Chinese government will allow it to freeze citizens’ assets, and that many may not be able to take money out of the city.

Nandy therefore asked the minister: “What recourse to public funds will apply, and will he ensure that dependents will be treated as home students for the purposes of tuition fees?”

Her comments followed Raab’s statement to the House after the imposition of controversial security laws imposed in Hong Kong that saw a number of pro-independence and pro-democracy protesters arrested today.

He confirmed the offer of a “bespoke” visa route for British nationals, which was touted earlier this month by the government. The offer would affect an estimated 2.9 million people living in Hong Kong.

Nandy had called on the Foreign Secretary to come to parliament and “lay out concrete steps” to make sure that the UK fulfils its commitment to Hong Kong residents, declaring that “now is not the moment to look away”.

Commenting before Raab’s statement, she said: “The imposition of new national security legislation in Hong Kong represents a direct challenge to the Joint Declaration, undermining both the commitments made to the UK by China and the obligation that we have to the people of Hong Kong.

“The government promised action at the point of application – they must not waver now. It has been five weeks since the Foreign Secretary proposed extending visa rights to British nationals overseas passport holders living in Hong Kong, but the government has failed to provide any further details.

“Today, pro-democracy protesters and journalists in Hong Kong have been dispersed using water cannons and pepper spray and dozens have reportedly already been detained under the new security legislation. Now is not the moment to look away.”