The BNO Visa Scheme in UK–China Relations: A Geopolitical Tool

Since 2019, social movements and protests in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have attracted considerable international attention. In response, the UK Government has implemented measures such as the British National (Overseas) Visa Scheme and this paper examines the attitudes of British political parties towards the BNO Visa Scheme for Hong Kong immigrants, within the context of UK–China relations. By analyzing parliamentary speeches from Hansard (2019–2023) alongside political debates, the qualitative analysis in this paper makes an original contribution to the academic literature in outlining the UK’s sense of historical responsibility, in framing the BNO Visa issue in humanitarian terms. In addition, the paper explores how the decline in UK–China relations has strengthened strategic support for the BNO Visa Scheme and influenced immigration policy, as well as the UK government’s approach to decolonisation in international relations.