UK weighs opening up citizenship to BN(O) passport holders

The UK government is mulling giving greater visiting rights to certain Hong Kong residents, unless the Chinese government suspends a controversial proposed national security law. Such a move could make it easier for those residents to one day apply for UK citizenship, CNN reports.

The offer would apply only to Hong Kong people who possess a document known as the British National Overseas BN (O) passport, which was granted to residents who registered for it before Britain handing Hong Kong back to China in 1997.

More than 314,000 BNO holders reside in the semi-autonomous territory, according to the Home Office. Their status currently entitles them to seek consular assistance from the UK, but is not equivalent to British citizenship.

On Thursday, Britain's Home Office Secretary, Priti Patel, said she and the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab were exploring ways to provide more rights for BNO passport holders, including extending a "path to citizenship."

"Deeply concerned at China's proposals for legislation related to national security in Hong Kong," Patel wrote on Twitter. "If imposed, @DominicRaab & I will explore options for a path to citizenship for BNO passport holders. UK will continue to defend the rights & freedoms of the people of Hong Kong."

It followed an announcement by Raab earlier on Thursday in which he told the British press that greater visa rights were in the cards for BNO passport holders.

"In relation to BNO passport holders, as you know, currently they only have the right to come to the UK for six months. If China continues down this path and implements this national security legislation, we will change that status," he said.

"We will remove that six-month limit and allow those BNO passport holders to come to the UK and to apply to work and study for extendable periods of 12 months and that will itself provide a pathway to future citizenship," he added.