I am appalled that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have enforced a new security law upon our friends in Hong Kong.
Their new law violates Hong Kong’s autonomy and strangles it’s and the people’s freedoms.
China has broken its promise to the people of Hong Kong under its own laws and China has breached its international obligations to the UK under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
I am therefore pleased the Government will now make special arrangements for those holding BNO (British National Overseas) status in Hong Kong.
This new bespoke immigration route will allow BNOs to come to the UK without the current 6 month limit, granting them five years limited leave to remain, with the ability to live and work in the UK. After these five years, they will be able to apply for settled status and, after a further 12 months with that status, apply for citizenship.
I asked the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, now is the time to push back against China. We don’t need Huawei in our networks and locally we have the alternative under the Staffordshire 5G Connected Growth Deal, which I am working on with the Stoke & Staffordshire LEP.
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