Two Hong Kong democracy activists say they feel 'betrayed' after the UK blocked them from fleeing to Britain because they were convicted for rallying against China. The men, identified only as John and Edward to protect their safety, had their British National Overseas (BNO) visa applications rejected in July, according to a report by Metro.
The UK introduced the BNO visa in 2021 to give eligible Hong Kong citizens and their families a route to UK citizenship following a Chinese crackdown on protests. More than 170,000 people with BNO status have arrived in the UK since, including Edward's elderly parents and brother. But lawyers told Metro at least 10 other democracy activists have been denied for similar reasons since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.
Edward's story: From protest to prison
Edward, now 28, was a student when he joined pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019. On July 28, he arrived at a demonstration against police violence in Yuen Long. He told Metro: 'I stood at the front of the group with an umbrella, trying to protect myself. As the police were clearing protestors with massive force, I was arrested on the spot.'
Edward says he was beaten by police with a baton, arrested for unlawful assembly, and later charged with riot. He pleaded not guilty but was convicted and sentenced to three and a half years in prison in January 2022. After his release in March 2024, he was barred from continuing his education and struggled to find work.
Visa denials and legal arguments
Edward applied for a BNO visa in October 2025, but the Home Office denied his application on July 21 this year. In a letter seen by Metro, officials cited his riot conviction, overlooking arguments from his lawyers that he was a victim of unfair political repression. Under British immigration law, applications must be refused for sentences longer than 12 months, unless the crime 'would not be criminal in the UK'. Edward argued his riot conviction was for 'fighting for justice and democracy', but the Home Office disagreed.
The refusal letter quoted extensively from the Hong Kong court judgement, which described Edward at the front of protesters confronting police and not following orders to disperse. Although the judge did not accuse Edward of violent action, the Home Office decided his conduct would be seen as criminal in the UK. Edward said he was 'very disappointed' and added: 'It was ridiculous because the Home Office clearly agreed that I am not a violent protestor but agreed with the court judgement.'
Edward is devastated that the ruling may mean he will never see his family in the UK again or care for his father, who is in poor health. He also fears for his safety: 'Political violence is getting worse. The government is suppressing democracy activists like me all the time.'
Lawyers and politicians speak out
Edward's lawyer, Kate Lam, called the refusal a 'betrayal of the main purpose of the BN(O) policy… to fulfil the UK's historic, diplomatic and moral responsibility for Hong Kong and her people.' She added: 'It is deeply concerning and disappointing that the Home Office appears to increasingly rely on the politically-motivated, persecutory criminal convictions handed down by the Hong Kong kangaroo courts to democratic activists in refusing British nationals from Hong Kong entry to the UK.'
John's refusal came a day after Edward's and followed almost identical wording. John was among two thousand activists who clashed with police on November 19, 2019, in support of student protestors trapped inside Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He says he was shot by a rubber bullet, arrested, and later charged with riot. He pleaded guilty, as many protestors did hoping for a shorter sentence, and served two years and one month before early release in November 2025.
John had applied for a BNO visa a month earlier because he 'did not feel safe in Hong Kong', claiming police threatened him to reveal contacts with other activists. The Home Office rejected his application on July 22, citing his riot conviction of longer than 12 months. The refusal letter quoted the judge's summary remarks about petrol bombs, property damage, and refusals to disperse, arguing his conduct would be criminal in the UK.
John said the rejection made him feel 'betrayed by the UK government'. He added: 'The whole point of the BNO visa is to protect people like me and to protect the human rights of Hong Kongers. Right now I am being treated like a criminal but all I did was protect the democracy of Hong Kong.'
Lawyers for John and Edward said they had seen successful cases in the past of activists convicted for riot who were granted visas. They claim recent refusals under Andy Burnham 'clearly demonstrates that the current refusals no longer consider' that riot convictions are 'politically motivated'. Ms Lam urged the Home Office to 'review its internal guidance and align it with the British values that are represented in the BN(O) policy' and ensure eligible Hong Kongers are 'never refused entry to the UK for fighting for freedom and democracy.'
Political reactions and Home Office response
Priti Patel MP, who brought in the visa route as Home Secretary in 2020, accused Andy Burnham and Labour of 'kowtowing to China'. Emily Dalington, chair of Parliament's APPG on Hong Kong, said she was 'hearing more alarming reports' of BNO applicants being rejected over prosecutions 'which we do not necessarily recognise in the UK'. She added: 'The UK has a special responsibility to the people of Hong Kong and we made promises to them. These promises should be kept.'
Bobby Dean MP, vice chair of the APPG, said: 'The British Government made a promise to the people of Hong Kong and I fear that promise is now being walked back on. The reports that the Home Office are turning people away for these bogus convictions undermines the entire purpose of the BNO scheme.' Tomas Roberto, UK Head of Public Affairs and Advocacy at The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, said: 'Britain must stop treating political dissent as a crime. Hong Kongers who were prosecuted under the Chinese Communist Party's National Security Law for peaceful pro-democracy activity should not be automatically shut out of the U.K.'
The Home Office said they could not 'assess the veracity' of these 'anonymised claims'. A spokesperson added: 'The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK and is fully committed to the BN(O) route, which will continue to welcome Hong Kongers. The standard Immigration Rules apply to the route in relation to criminality and other adverse behaviour.'
