Hong Kong: British National (Overseas)

(asked on 9th December 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that British Nationals Overseas in Hong Kong can contact the British Consulate General in Hong Kong in the safest manner with reduced fear of oppression by the Chinese Government.


Answered by
Nigel Adams Portrait
Nigel Adams
This question was answered on 17th December 2020

Our consular work, providing help to British nationals all over the world, has always been a priority. The consular assistance we provide British nationals is set out in our guide, 'Support for British Nationals Abroad'. There is also information available on Gov.uk.

Under a Memorandum to the Joint Declaration, British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(O))s are eligible to consular protection in third countries, but not Hong Kong, Macao or mainland China. The Chinese authorities do not recognise dual nationality and would not grant consular access. Where the UK Government is unable to offer consular assistance and where we have legitimate humanitarian or human rights concerns we will engage the relevant authorities and lobby on that basis. In response to the national security law the UK has already offered a new immigration path for BN(O)s, suspended our extradition treaty with Hong Kong, and extended our arms embargo on mainland China to Hong Kong.

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