12 HK residents with 2019-related convictions had BNO visa denied

Since UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office in July, at least 12 Hong Kong residents with convictions related to the 2019 protests have reportedly had their BNO or British National (Overseas) visa applications denied.

British media reported that one case involved a Hong Kong resident who had been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.

The UK's Home Office says that with his riot-related convictions, his visa application was denied.

The letter cited a Hong Kong court ruling, describing the man's position among frontline protesters at the time, having confronted the police and refused to comply with dispersal orders, which would be considered a crime in the UK.

The report notes under UK immigration law, if an applicant has been sentenced to more than 12 months behind bars, they must refuse the visa application.

But the rule does not apply to cases where the aspiring immigrants' convictions do not constitute a crime in the UK.