Special experience in the UK

I have been to the UK once for travelling. I visited a family in London and travelled around London, Windsor and Cambridge. I had a great time in the UK, because this was my first time to visit the UK.

However, after I reach the UK, I had a very special experience in the London Heathrow Airport. I used my British National (Overseas) passport to enter the UK. When I lined up to pass through the customs in the Airport, I saw there were two lines; one is British and EU passport and one is foreign passport. At that time, I thought BN(O) passport is also a kind of British passport, so I can line up at the British and EU passport line. The line was much shorter than the foreign passport line. Therefore, I was quite happy to see that and I thought I was so lucky! I could save plenty of time, just because I have a ‘British passport’!

Unfortunately, when I gave my passport to the custom, they told me the truth. This let me fall down from the heaven to the hell. The custom told me, “BN(O) passport go to the foreigner line please.” Then, I asked him the reason, he said, “Because the BN(O) passport is not a British Citizen passport. Although this line is for British and EU passport, it is for British Citizen passport holders only.” Therefore, I felt very disappointed and then I went to the foreign passport line. When I reached the custom counter, the custom put a chop on my passport and told me I could only stay in the UK for not more than six months. When I left the UK, the custom put a chop on my passport again.

This situation is quite odd. The British government gave me a British passport, but when I enter the UK, why I need to line up at the foreigner line and the custom still need to put a chop on it? For example when I used my HKSAR passport to enter Hong Kong, the custom just check my personal information then let me enter Hong Kong. They will not put a chop on my passport. This makes me had lots of doubt about this situation.

After I back to Hong Kong, I tried to find out the reason. I read some books and surfed different websites, then I know the real reason.

At the beginning, people who born in the Britain or in the British colony also had right to live and work in the UK. They all held the same British passport. After 20th Century, there were lots of colony independent from the UK, so it was unable to allow the entire colony and British people used the same British passport. Besides, after the World War II, there were lots of people from the British colony went to the UK and immigrated there. This caused the UK became very crowded and the British government was unable to support their welfare. Based on this situation, the British government has decided to limit the right of living in the UK for the British colony residents. Thus, start from 1962, only people who born in the UK had right to live and work in the UK, although all the people who born in the British colony also held the same British passport as the people who born in the UK.

In 1981, the British government downgraded Hongkongers’ passport to BDTC passport (British Dependent Territory Citizen). From this year, Hongkongers’ Nationality was different to the British Citizen. In 1984, the Joint Declaration was signed between the Chinese and British government, in order to solve the sovereignty problem of Hong Kong after 1997. Therefore, how to definite Hongkongers’ Nationality was a doubt.

Because Hong Kong would handover to China in 1997, Hongkongers were unable to have a BDTC passport anymore. To solve this problem, the British government decided to set up a new type of British Nationality, called “British National (Overseas)”. This could let Hongkongers still kept a relationship with the UK. The identity of British National (Overseas) is valid forever and holders will not lost this identity because they have other Nationalities. However, British National (Overseas) Nationality does not have right to live and work in the UK and Hongkongers’ offspring are unable to have a British National (Overseas) Nationality.

In 1987, the British government started to allow Hongkongers to register a BN(O) Nationality. After 31/12/1997, the British government terminate Hongkongers to register a BN(O) Nationality. Until that day, there were 3.5 million Hongkongers register a BN(O) Nationality. Therefore, now (2014) there are still around 50% of Hongkongers have a BN(O) Passport.

As you can see, the British government took away Hongkongers’ right of living and work in the UK. It used an administrative measure to change our Nationality. I think this is not fair for the Hongkongers. At the beginning, all Hongkongers had right to live and work in the UK, same as the British Citizen. Then, because the British government based on some political considerations, Hongkongers lose their rights. The British government did not want Hongkongers to immigrant to the UK, so since 1960’s the British government took away our rights step by step.

This can explain that why I have a British passport but I still need to line up at the foreigner line and the custom needs to put a chop on my passport when I enter the UK.

I think the British government does not respect the Hongkongers and it is insulting us. It is because the British government has responsibility to give us a right to live and work in the UK. She should not use an administrative measure to prohibit use to enter the UK. We have a British Nationality and it is an unshakable fact, but why we can only hold a BN(O) passport and cannot live and work in the UK legally?

For example, in Macau, a former Portugal colony, the Macanese who born in Macau had a Portuguese Nationality and they have right to live and work in the Portugal, same as the people in Portugal. They are also an EU Citizen, so they have right to live and work in different EU countries. Besides, their offspring can also have a Portuguese passport.

From the case of Macau, you can see the Portuguese government will not take away Macanese’s right of living and work in the Portugal, just because Macau was already handover to China in 1999.

Although I feel very upset for the British government, I think I should be more positive. A good news for having a BN(O) passport is I can register to be a British Citizen, without having a naturalization examination and join the swear ceremony. If I can stay in the UK for more than 5 years legally and get a permanent resident identity from the British government, then I have right to register to be a British Citizen. Then, I can hold a British Citizen Passport and have right to work and live in the UK. Because I have right to live and work in the UK originally, I hope I can through strive to work in the UK and get a British Citizen Passport legally. This can let the British government knows that Hongkongers are not just burden the UK; we can also give lots of contribution to the UK.

Having a British Citizen Passport and have right to live and work in the UK is my little wish. I hope I can finish my wish one day. At the same time, I also hope the British government to review the Nationality law of the UK, because the Nationality is quite insulting and do not respect the BN(O) passport holders indeed.