Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what review his Department is undertaking of asylum applications by people from Hong Kong who have been involved in pro-democracy campaigns; and what his planned timescale is for that review.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it with half a million individuals on humanitarian routes since 2015. All asylum claims admitted to the UK asylum system receive careful consideration. We will not remove anyone to their own, or any other country, where they would face persecution or serious harm.
Asylum decision makers carefully consider each claimant’s protection needs by assessing all the evidence provided by the claimant in light of published country information guidance. They receive extensive training on considering asylum claims and must follow published Home Office policy guidance. This includes any claims received from people from Hong Kong.
Those from Hong Kong may also be eligible for the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route which was launched following China’s imposition of the National Security Law in Hong Kong. To be eligible for the route, applicants must have BN(O) status, or be the eligible family member of someone with BN(O) status.
The Home Office is currently not undertaking a specific review into asylum applications by people from Hong Kong who have been involved in pro-democracy campaigns.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the number of asylum seekers from Hong Kong who have switched to British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa routes, and the way in which such applications have been handled, since they decided to allow adult children of BN(O) status holders to apply independently of their parent.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Those who apply to the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route from overseas should not travel to the UK until they have received a decision on their application. Most individuals who hold a BN(O) or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport will be able to apply to the BN(O) route without needing to attend a visa application centre by using the UK Chip Checker smartphone application.
In most cases, a person with a pending asylum claim can make an application to the BN(O) route, but all applications will need to meet the relevant requirements to be granted, including the suitability requirements. The Home Office is aware of the issues some individuals have faced when switching into the BN(O) route since it was amended to allow adult children of BN(O) status holders who were born after the handover of Hong Kong to apply independently of their parent, and we are looking into these cases.
Recent published data shows that in Quarter 2 of 2023, 98.58% of leave to enter cases and 98.35% of leave to remain cases classed as straightforward were decided within the service standard of 12 weeks.
This can be found at the following link: Visas and citizenship data: Q3 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The Home Office does not currently hold any publishable data on the longest outstanding case.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people from Hong Kong with a pending asylum claim are allowed to transfer onto the British National (Overseas) visa scheme if they have become eligible since its expansion on 30 November 2022.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
In most cases, a person with a pending asylum claim can make an application to the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route. However, all applications need to meet the relevant requirements to be granted, including the suitability requirements.
Mentions:
1: Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Con - Berwick-upon-Tweed) The Foreign Secretary has called on the Hong Kong authorities to end their prosecution of Jimmy Lai and - Speech Link
2: Iain Duncan Smith (Con - Chingford and Woodford Green) Are the UK Government considering how to allow Hong Kong asylum applications to switch to British National - Speech Link
3: Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Con - Berwick-upon-Tweed) people and we have extended our arms embargo on mainland China to cover Hong Kong. - Speech Link
4: Fiona Bruce (Con - Congleton) Kong”, the new report by Hong Kong Watch? - Speech Link
5: Neil Coyle (Lab - Bermondsey and Old Southwark) Can the Minister explain UK Government policy on whether Hong Kong campaigners should qualify for asylum - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Tim Loughton (Con - East Worthing and Shoreham) I want to thank Hong Kong Watch, the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation and the Inter-Parliamentary - Speech Link
2: Tim Loughton (Con - East Worthing and Shoreham) in exile, particularly those who have been granted asylum and have faced past and current threats from - Speech Link
3: Tim Loughton (Con - East Worthing and Shoreham) Hong Kong is not bright. - Speech Link
4: Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford) That is the reality in Hong Kong. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Bob Seely (Con - Isle of Wight) What steps his Department is taking to support Jimmy Lai during his trial in Hong Kong. - Speech Link
2: Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Con - Berwick-upon-Tweed) We have called for an end to British citizen Jimmy Lai’s prosecution in Hong Kong and for his release - Speech Link
3: Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Con - Berwick-upon-Tweed) Our complex relationship with China and Hong Kong continues but we will continue to stand firm to make - Speech Link
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to help protect Hong Kong (a) asylum seekers and (b) BNO visa holders who have settled in the UK from the Hong Kong authorities.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Government continually assesses potential threats in the UK, and takes protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously.
We will not tolerate any attempts by the authorities of Hong Kong or China, or any other country to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas. The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted.
DLUHC, Home Office and FCDO regularly engage with a wide range of British Nationals Overseas (BN(O)) community groups. While it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security and intelligence matters, where we identify individuals at heightened risk, we are front footed in deploying protective security guidance and other measures as appropriate.
Furthermore, The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK’s approach to transnational repression to ensure we have a robust and joined up response across government and law enforcement.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will expedite the asylum applications of (a) former Hong Kong elected district councillors and (b) pro-democracy party leadership figures in the context of recent arrest warrants and bounties for exiled Hong Kong pro-democracy activists.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it. All asylum claims are considered on a case-by-case basis in line with published policy including those raised by Hong Kong nationals.
Individuals from Hong Kong may also be able to apply for the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route which reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status before Hong Kong’s handover to China. To be eligible, applicants must have BN(O) status, or be the eligible family member of someone with BN(O) status.
In November 2022, the BN(O) route was expanded to allow adult children of BN(O) status holders, aged 18 or over and who were born on or after 1 July 1997 to apply to the route independently. As of 31 March 2023, a total of 166,420 applications to the BN(O) route have been granted since its introduction.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, given the recent arrest warrants and bounties for exiled Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, what plans they have to expedite the asylum applications of former Hong Kong elected district councillors.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it. All asylum claims are considered on a case-by-case basis in line with published policy including those raised by Hong Kong nationals.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department is offering to (a) former Hong Kong elected district councillors and (b) pro-democracy party leadership figures who have been waiting for a decision on an asylum application.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it. All asylum claims are considered on a case-by-case basis in line with published policy including those raised by Hong Kong nationals.
Individuals from Hong Kong may also be able to apply for the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route which reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status before Hong Kong’s handover to China. To be eligible, applicants must have BN(O) status, or be the eligible family member of someone with BN(O) status.
In November 2022, the BN(O) route was expanded to allow adult children of BN(O) status holders, aged 18 or over and who were born on or after 1 July 1997 to apply to the route independently. As of 31 March 2023, a total of 166,420 applications to the BN(O) route have been granted since its introduction.