London has confirmed that it will not deport former Hong Kong lawmaker Wu Chi-wai after the democrat experienced entry hiccups when travelling to the UK on his British National Overseas (BNO) passport.

Wu Chi-wai. File Photo: Democratic Party.

UK Minister for Migration and Citizenship Jo White said in a letter to former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten on Thursday that the Home Office recognised the importance of assessing each case involving a BNO passport independently.

UK authorities should not automatically refuse settlement applications because of overseas convictions, White added.

Wu, former chair of the now-defunct Democratic Party, was convicted under the Beijing-imposed national security law for conspiracy to subvert the state. He was among 47 democrats accused of holding an unofficial pro-democracy legislative primary election in July 2020. The 63-year-old was jailed for four years and five months.

The letter to Patten was shared on X by NGO Hong Kong Watch, of which he is a patron.

Chris Patten. File Photo: Handout.

Wu was stopped at London’s Heathrow when he travelled to the UK in late July. At first, he was only granted a seven-day immigration bail after 10 hours of detention at the border.

He was later informed that he could remain as a visitor for six months following an intervention by supporters and advocates based in the UK.

The Times reported that Wu was planning to go through the BNO route to take up residence in Britain and to reunite with his family there. However, he later told BBC Chinese in an interview that he was not seeking residency.

The UK introduced the BNO settlement route in January 2021 following Beijing’s enactment of national security legislation in Hong Kong, which the UK said amounted to a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Shortly after, China said it would no longer recognise the passports.

Concerns about other HK ‘political prisoners’

In the letter to Patten, White said that Wu had been granted admission to the UK.

“Where an individual asserts that their actions were politically motivated, or raise concerns about circumstances surrounding their convictions, caseworkers will consider any relevant evidence provided in support of those claims… including all relevant court findings…” the letter said.

A UK flag. Photo: Reinaldo Sture/Unsplash.

“Regarding Mr. Wu, I can confirm that, following further engagement with him, he was granted permission to enter to the UK and is not facing deportation or removal.”

Hong Kong Watch said on X on Thursday that it welcomed the decision of the UK government to allow Wu to enter the country. But it remained concerned “about the treatment of other Hong Kong political prisoners as they apply for the BNO scheme.”

“We urge Jo White to urgently review the broader handling of political prisoners cases, to ensure legitimate applications are not turned down,” the post reads.

Wu was a pro-democracy lawmaker for the Kowloon East constituency from 2012 to 2020.

The Hong Kong government has often criticised Hong Kong Watch, deeming it an “anti-China” group. Its website appears to be largely blocked in the city.