Analysts say UK BN(O) visa scheme for Hong Kong residents unlikely to change under Labour government

The UK government launched the BN(O) track in January 2021 in response to Beijing’s national security law passed a year earlier.

Among those voting for the first time was Sue Wong*, 38, who left Hong Kong at the end of 2021 to start a new life in Bishop’s Stortford, a market town about 35km (22 miles) north-east of central London, with her husband and two children.

“We can’t really predict what impact the new government’s policies will have on us or in what way, but we are happy to be able to vote and choose the leader of the country,” she said.

Her constituency elected its first Labour MP in its 41-year history, with support for the Conservatives rising by more than 20 per cent.

Under the leadership of new Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the centre-left Labour Party won at least 412 of the 650 seats in Parliament.

In north London, Green Party supporter Tony Chan*, 31, decided to vote Labour to prevent the Conservative candidate from winning. Labour retained its seat in Tottenham with more than 57 per cent of the vote.

The consultant said the party’s stance on immigration was more important to him, and the rise of Reform UK was a cause for concern. Although the Reform candidate won only 4 per cent of the vote in Tottenham, the party won 14.3 per cent of the vote nationally and won five seats.

“Although the Conservatives have introduced the BN(O) visa program, their plan to forcibly deport asylum seekers to Rwanda has disappointed me. Given their failure to rebuild the economy, I have no choice but to vote for them,” he said.

“As an immigrant with a BN(O) visa, I don’t believe there is a difference between immigrants from different places. When a society starts to become xenophobic or racist, none of us can remain untouched.”

Ting Wang-leung, a lecturer in comparative politics at the University of Reading, said Hong Kong residents should watch the rise of the Reform UK party with concern.

“With the Conservative Party in a dire state following this devastating defeat, the right-wing of the party will inevitably look to adopt an even more anti-immigration stance to fend off challenges from Reform UK, if not join forces with them in some form,” he said.

“A Conservative Party that moves further to the right and takes an even more intransigent stance on immigration could create an even more hostile environment for Hong Kong residents in the UK if they are ever returned to government in the future.”

Joe Chan*, 40, who moved to Wokingham, 60km west of London, two years ago, said not all Hong Kong residents were as concerned about Reform UK’s anti-immigration policies.

“I was talking to friends on a WhatsApp group this morning and quite a few of them said they voted for Reform UK,” he said on Friday.

But Reform UK’s rise has worried him. “The number of votes he got is astonishing, over 4 million votes. That group of voters can certainly sway public opinion in the UK. I don’t think any major party, including Labour, can ignore that vote.”

However, all major parties avoided alienating Hong Kong residents because they were described as a “key minority” and “no political party would want to offend a group of people from whom it can actually win votes,” he said.

Ting said there was a “consensus” among the major parties to support the BN(O) agenda and he did not expect a “sudden change” in policy towards Hong Kong residents in the UK.

The Labour Party said in its manifesto that “we will support members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK” and promised to conduct a “full audit” of the UK’s relationship with China.

Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, said the BN(O) programme had never been a politically controversial issue in the UK and he expected the Labour government to reaffirm its commitment to the programme.

“As long as Hong Kong migrants coming under the BN(O) programme settle and integrate well and do not cause any dissatisfaction among the local community, the new government will reaffirm its commitment to the programme,” Tsang said.

Heather Rolfe, director of research and relations at think tank British Future, said that while the Conservatives had an advantage in attracting Hong Kong residents to introduce the scheme, Labour’s priorities on jobs and skills could also appeal to those rebuilding their working lives in the UK.

“The campaign allowed BN(O)s to compete with candidates during campaigns organised by local Hongkonger groups, some of which took place in marginal constituencies such as Sutton, Southampton and Wimbledon, where BN(O)s could have contributed to the outcome,” she said.

The Liberal Democrats, the third largest party by seats in Parliament, defeated the incumbent Conservatives in both Sutton and Wimbledon.

* Names have been changed at the request of the interviewees.