LONDON – Cindy lived comfortably in Hong Kong: she owned several properties with her husband, they had a good business. But last year she decided to leave everything behind and move her family to Britain, and even a global pandemic wouldn’t influence her decision.
“Uprooting ourselves in this way is certainly not easy. But it got uglier last year, the government really chased us away, ”said the businesswoman and mother of two young children who didn’t give her last name because she feared repercussions for speaking out against the Chinese government. “Everything we value – freedom of speech, fair elections, freedoms – has been eroded. It is no longer the Hong Kong we knew, it is no longer a place to call home. “
Cindy, who landed in London last week, is one of thousands of Hong Kongers who have fled their hometowns since Beijing imposed a draconian national security law on the territory last summer.
Some are leaving because they fear punishment for supporting pro-democracy protests. But many others, like her, say that China’s encroachment on their way of life and civil liberties has become unbearable, and that they want to find a better future for their children abroad. Most say they have no intention of ever going back.
Many confirmed their exit plans after Britain announced in July that it would open a special immigration pathway 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 Britain respects its “ deep historical ties ” with Hong Kong, a former colony that fell under Chinese rule in 1997, on the understanding that it offers Western-style freedoms and many of its political autonomy not seen in mainland China.
Applications for the British National Overseas Visa open officially on Sunday, although many like Wong have already arrived on British soil to get a head start. 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 permanent status and then UK citizenship.
The UK government said that about 7,000 people with British National Overseas (BNO) status have arrived since July. It estimates that over 300,000 people will accept the offer of extended residency rights over the next five years.
Wong said she wanted to leave as soon as possible because she feared Beijing would move soon to stop the exodus.
“The Chinese government said it has not ruled out tougher tactics,” she said. “I think they could lash out when tens of thousands of young professionals leave because that would definitely upset Hong Kong’s economy and they wouldn’t like that at all.”
Beijing said on Friday that it will no longer recognize the BNO passport as a travel document or form of identification, criticizing the offer of British citizenship as a move that “seriously infringes” China’s sovereignty. It was unclear what effect the announcement would have, as many Hong Kongers carry multiple passports.
Beijing has drastically hardened its stance on Hong Kong after massive anti-government protests turned violent in 2019 and plunged the city into a months-long crisis. Since the enactment of the security law, dozens of pro-democracy activists have been arrested and the young leaders of the movement have either been imprisoned or fled abroad.
Because the new law broadly defined acts of subversion, secession, foreign collusion and terrorism, many in Hong Kong fear that expressing any form of political opposition – even posting on social media – could get them into trouble.
“I think if you knew when to shut up, you would stay in Hong Kong,” said 39-year-old Fan, who also recently arrived in London. Like Wong, he didn’t want to give his full name. ‘But I don’t want to do that. I can complain about the queen if I wanted to – I can say anything here. “
Fan, an animator, had sold his flat in Hong Kong and is slowly planning to build a new life in Britain – a country he had never visited before. He won’t be the only one starting all over again.
“This is a truly unique wave of emigration: some people have not had time to actually visit the country they are moving to. Many have no experience living abroad, ”said Miriam Lo, who heads Excelsior UK, a relocation agency. “And because of the pandemic, they couldn’t even come by to see a house before they decided to buy.”
The UK government estimates that 2.9 million BNO status holders are eligible to move to the UK, with an additional 2.3 million eligible dependents. The UK introduced BNO passports in the 1980s for people who were a “British Dependent Citizen by connection to Hong Kong.” Until recently, the passports had limited benefits as they did not confer nationality or the right to live and work in Britain.
Cindy, the businesswoman, was still recovering from jet lag, but she is optimistic about her future.
“We want to bring the energy of Hong Kong, our resources and our finances here,” she said. ‘The move is of course for our children. But we also want to build a whole new life for ourselves here. “