18 October 2024 – Yesterday, in the British Parliament, a debate on UK - Hong Kong relations and on securing visas, access to services and security for Hong Kongers living in the UK took place in Westminster Hall.
Parliamentarians from all major parties participated in the discussions while the Government was represented by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department. Questions raised by MPs included protections for Hong Kongers from transnational repression, secret Chinese police stations, and the ongoing trial and detention of British citizen, Jimmy Lai, as well as access to education, Hong Kong’s pension scheme, and the expansion of the British National Overseas (BNO) visa.
The debate was held on the same day that Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, was set to fly to China to begin his first state visit to the region, while earlier this week, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, called Jimmy Lai’s case a “priority” for the new Labour Government.
Blair McDougall MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hong Kong, noted that Jimmy Lai’s case “rests on all our consciences. He is a 77-year-old man whose health is failing, and he is in solitary confinement in a Hong Kong jail. He has been denied independent medical access and consular access and is facing a life sentence after a trial without a jury. That case rests heavily on the minds of Hong Kongers, who are unsure whether they will be able to access consular assistance if something goes wrong.”
Other notable interventions came from Gregory Stafford MP, who mentioned the cases of “brave political and democratic prisoners such as Jimmy Lai, Joshua Wong, and Benny Tai” who are all awaiting National Security charges. Bobby Dean MP, discussed the repeated concerns about Confucius Institutes at Universities and the threat to academic freedom and freedom of expression on campus. Mark Sewards MP, and Neil Coyle MP called for additional provisions to tackle transnational repression against Hong Kongers such as training and support for police, and resources to fight against state threats by a foreign power.
Neil Coyle MP questioned the diplomatic status for officials from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in the UK. Currently in the U.S. a bill has been passed in the House of Representatives to annually review these diplomatic privileges and immunities amid the crackdown of civil liberties in Hong Kong. The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation calls for the UK to follow the U.S. and implement similar measures.
Connor Rand MP ended the debate by saying “what unites us all is a belief in the importance of standing with Hong Kongers, both at home and abroad, and that this country continues to offer Hong Kongers a route out of oppression, to ensure that Hong Kongers living in the UK feel secure and have an opportunity to build a better life here.”
Alyssa Fong, Public Affairs and Advocacy Manager for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation said:
“I am delighted that so many Parliamentarians are concerned about the security and access to services for Hong Kongers who have fled to the UK. This debate signalled to the Hong Kong community that their concerns have not fallen by the wayside. Now, we need actions more than words. I hope that the new Labour Government will take threats from China against Hong Kongers in the UK seriously and act upon them.”
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