The Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Sunday strongly condemned the United Kingdom government for using the city's new national security legislation as a pretext to manipulate the British National (Overseas) passport as part of its political maneuvering.
The office made the remarks in a statement the same day that the UK started to roll out a citizenship scheme for Hong Kong’s BN(O)-eligible passport holders.
The new policy was an attempt to turn Hong Kong residents with BN(O) status into “second-class citizens” in the UK by offering them so-called residency and citizenship routes, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said that the move has substantively changed the nature of the BN(O) passport and flagrantly reneged on the UK’s pledge in 1980s memoranda, which stipulated that it will not confer the right of abode to Chinese citizens in Hong Kong who hold BN(O) passports.
The spokesman said that the UK government had grossly violated China’s sovereignty, interfered in Hong Kong affairs, which are China’s internal affairs, and violated laws and norms governing international relations.
As the UK broke its promise, the spokesperson said, it is legitimate for the central government and the SAR government, as counteractive measures, to stop recognizing the BN(O) passport as a valid travel document and proof of identity from Sunday.
Hong Kong’s Immigration Department on Sunday said that inbound Hong Kong passengers are required to present their HKSAR passports or permanent identity cards as proof of identity upon boarding.
