Weigh ethical factors before tightening BN(O) visa rules for Hongkongers: report

Curbs on bespoke pathway unlikely to hurt Britain economically, UK advisory committee says

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The UK has not clarified whether Hong Kong’s BN(O) passport holders who have migrated or plan to move to the Britain under a bespoke scheme will be affected by new migration curbs. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 8:30am, 15 May 2025Updated: 4:43pm, 15 May 2025

Tightening the British National (Overseas) settlement pathway for Hongkongers is unlikely to hurt the country economically, but authorities should weigh foreign policy and ethical considerations, a UK government advisory committee report has said.

The Net Migration Report was submitted to the government in January but published on Tuesday, a day after the UK announced plans to cut the number of immigrants to the country significantly. The report was compiled by the Migration Advisory Committee, which is sponsored by Britain’s Home Office.

The office has not provided a clear answer on whether Hong Kong’s BN(O) passport holders who have migrated or plan to move to the United Kingdom under the bespoke pathway will be affected, saying only that Britain remained committed to the “humanitarian route” of the scheme.

The report said the BN(O) pathway, which was categorised as a humanitarian visa, represented a “small but non-trivial” share of total net migration to the UK, adding that any decision to restrict such schemes “would likely not be economically costly”.

“[It was] not introduced for economic reasons,” the report said.

“The trade-off here is between the government’s desire to reduce net migration and the foreign policy and ethical considerations that led to the introduction of the visas.”

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