Wu Chi-wai, the 63-year-old former leader of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party and a prominent figure in the city’s pro-democracy movement, arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport last Wednesday and was detained for nearly 10 hours upon arrival. He was initially denied entry and told he could remain for only one week before facing deportation, according to statements he made to BBC Chinese.
However, on Monday, the UK Border Force reversed its position and approved his entry, granting him a standard six-month stay. Wu used a British National (Overseas) passport to enter the country, a travel document issued to Hong Kong permanent residents before the handover of sovereignty in 1997. BNO passport holders are typically permitted visa-free stays of six months in the UK.
Wu is among the so-called Hong Kong 47, a group of high-profile pro-democracy advocates who faced trial under controversial national security legislation. He was released in June after spending more than five years in prison on subversion charges and other convictions. Wu indicated that he had consulted with staff at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong prior to his departure and was informed there would be no obstacles to his entry.
According to Wu, his wife and son relocated to the UK in 2022 and 2023 respectively, and he had maintained contact only through monthly phone calls and letters. He stated that his primary purpose for the visit was to reunite with his family. Wu denied previous media reports suggesting he intended to apply for political asylum in the country, though Border Force personnel reportedly questioned whether he qualified as a “genuine visitor” traveling solely for family reasons.
Hong Kong Watch, a rights advocacy organization that had urged UK authorities to permit Wu’s stay, released a statement welcoming the decision. The UK government noted its continued commitment to supporting the Hong Kong community in Britain, while a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government stated it had not received any assistance requests from residents on the matter. More than 230,000 Hong Kongers have been granted BNO visas under a programme launched in 2021, with nearly 170,000 having relocated to the UK, according to government figures.
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