UK opens special visa route for Hong Kong residents to become citizens

The UK government forecasts the new visa could attract more than 300,000 people and their dependants to Britain

Hong Kong residents can apply from Sunday for a new visa offering them an opportunity to become British citizens after Beijing's imposition of a national security law in the Asian financial hub last year.
 
The move comes as China and Hong Kong have said they will no longer recognise the British National Overseas passport as a valid travel document from January 31.
 
Britain and China have been arguing for months about what London and Washington say is an attempt to silence dissent in Hong Kong after pro-democracy protests in 2019 and 2020.
 
Britain says it is fulfilling