More than 30,000 Hong Kong residents sought special U.K. visas in the second quarter of this year, although the pace of applications slowed from an initial rush to get on the path way to citizenship.
Some 30,600 British National (Overseas) passport holders applied for long-term residency passes between April and June under a program launched by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in response to China’s political crackdown on the Asian financial hub. Although that represents a roughly 11% dip from the first quarter, it brings the total applications to almost 65,000.
Departures for the U.K., Canada and elsewhere contributed to 1.2% slide in Hong Kong’s population in the 12 months ending in June, continuing a record pace of decline. Many residents are seeking to move out of the former British colony in the wake of indefinite pandemic restrictions on travel and a national security law that has curtailed protest and dissent.
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