LONDON: Wu Chi-wai, the former leader of Hong Kong’s now-defunct Democratic Party, has secured permission to remain in the United Kingdom for six months after UK authorities reversed an earlier decision that had left him facing deportation.

Wu arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport last Wednesday but border officials detained him for nearly 10 hours. He told BBC Chinese that authorities initially denied him entry and informed him he could remain in the country for only one week before reporting back to the airport for deportation.

However, on Monday, the UK Border Force approved his entry and granted him the standard six-month stay available to eligible visitors.

The 63-year-old became one of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy figures before authorities prosecuted him under the city’s national security laws. He was among the group widely known as the “Hong Kong 47,” whose members received prison sentences following a landmark national security trial.

More than 100 words into the development, Wu Chi-wai said he traveled to Britain to reunite with his family after years of separation. His wife and son relocated to the UK in 2022 and 2023, and he said they had communicated only through monthly phone calls and letters while he remained imprisoned.

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Family Reunion After Years in Prison

Wu was released from prison in June after serving more than five years for subversion and other convictions.

Before leaving Hong Kong, he consulted officials at the British Consulate General to confirm there would be no issues with his travel. According to Wu, consular staff assured him that they would explain his criminal record and travel plans to UK Border Force officials.

He also rejected media reports claiming he intended to seek political asylum in Britain. Wu said he entered the UK solely to visit his family.

Rights Group Welcomes Decision

Advocacy organization Hong Kong Watch welcomed the UK’s decision to allow Wu to remain in the country.

Policy Director Megan Khoo said authorities reached the correct decision but argued it should not have taken so long. She added that Wu should never have faced the possibility of being returned to the city where he had been imprisoned.

BNO Passport and UK Policy

Wu entered the UK using his British National (Overseas), or BNO, passport. The travel document allows eligible Hong Kong permanent residents to visit the UK without a visa for up to six months.

The UK introduced the BNO visa route in 2021 following Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests and the implementation of the national security law. The program allows eligible BNO holders to live, work and study in Britain before applying for permanent settlement and eventual citizenship.

According to the UK government, more than 230,000 Hong Kong residents have received BNO visas, while nearly 170,000 have already relocated to Britain.

The UK Home Office declined to comment on Wu’s individual case but reaffirmed its support for the Hong Kong community living in the UK. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government said it has not received any requests for assistance related to the case.