LONDON – Cindy had a comfortable lifestyle in Hong Kong: she owned several properties with her husband, and it did well. But last year she decided to leave it all behind and move her family to Britain, and not even a global pandemic would influence her decision.
“Uprooting ourselves like that is definitely not easy. But things got uglier last year, the government really chased us away, ‘said the businesswoman and mother of two young children who did not give her last name because she feared consequences for speaking out against the Chinese government. “Everything we value – freedom of speech, fair elections, freedoms – is defense. It’s no longer the Hong Kong we knew, nor is it anywhere we can call home. ‘
Cindy, who landed in London last week, is one of thousands of Hong Kongers who have fled their hometown since Beijing enacted a draconian national security law in the area last summer.
Some leave because they fear punishment for supporting protests for democracy. But many others, like her, say China’s encroachment on their way of life and civil liberties has become unbearable and they want to seek a better future for their children abroad. Most say they have no intention of ever going back.
Many confirmed their retirement plans after Britain announced in July that it would open a special immigration route for up to 5 million eligible Hong Kongers to live, work and eventually settle in the UK.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week that the offer shows that Britain respects its “deep ties of history” with Hong Kong, a former colony that returned to the Chinese government in 1997, on the assumption that it would exercise its Western freedoms and many of its political autonomy not seen on the mainland of China.
Applications for the British national overseas visa are officially opened, although many like Wong have already arrived on British soil to gain an edge. Eligible Hong Kongers can currently come to the UK for six months, but from Sunday they can apply for the right to live and work in the country for five years. After that, they can apply for established status and then British citizenship.
The British government has said about 7,000 people with British National Overseas (BNO) status have arrived since July. It is estimated that more than 300 000 people will accept the offer of extended right of residence in the next five years.
Wong said she wanted to leave as soon as possible because she feared Beijing would soon go to stop the exodus.
“The Chinese government has said it has not ruled out strict tactics,” she said. “I think they could start leaving very quietly when tens of thousands of young professionals leave, because that would certainly upset Hong Kong’s economy and they would not like it at all.”
Beijing said on Friday that it would no longer recognize the GNP passport as a travel document or form of identification, and criticized Britain’s citizenship offer as a step that would seriously infringe on China’s sovereignty. It was unclear what effect the announcement would have because many Hong Kongers have multiple passports.
Beijing has drastically hardened its stance on Hong Kong after massive protests against the government turned violent in 2019 and plunged the city into a months-long crisis. Since the enactment of the Security Act, dozens of pro-democracy activists have been arrested, and the young leaders of the movement have been jailed or fled abroad.
Because the new law outlined acts of undermining, secession, conspiracy and terrorism, many in Hong Kong fear that they could get into trouble by expressing any form of political opposition – even posting messages on social media.
“I think if you know when to stay quiet, you’ll stay in Hong Kong,” said the 39-year-old Fan, who also recently arrived in London. Like Wong, he did not want to give his full name. “But I do not want to do that. I can complain about the queen if I want to – I can say something here. ‘
Fan, an animator, has sold his apartment in Hong Kong and plans to slowly build a new life in Britain – a country he has never visited before. He will not be alone to start all over again.
‘It’s a unique wave of emigration – some people have not yet had time to visit the country they are moving to. Many have no experience living abroad, ”says Miriam Lo, who runs Excelsior UK, a relocation agency. “And because of the pandemic, they could not even look at a house until they decided to buy it.”
According to the UK government, there are 2.9 million GNI status holders eligible to relocate to the UK, with another 2.3 million eligible dependents. The United Kingdom introduced GNP passports in the 1980s for people who were “British dependent citizens in connection with Hong Kong.” Until recently, passports had limited benefits because they did not have the citizenship or the right to live and work in Britain.
Cindy, the businesswoman, is still recovering from jet lag, but she is excited about her future.
“We want to bring Hong Kong’s energy, our resources and our finances here,” she said. “The move is surely for our children. But we also want to build a whole new life for ourselves here. ‘