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Matthew Cheng

Teresa Elena Frontado

Former Hong Kong opposition leader Wu Chi-wai has been granted permission to enter and remain in Britain as a visitor for six months, after UK authorities reversed an earlier decision requiring him to leave the country by Wednesday, the South China Morning Post has learned.
Paul Harris, Wu’s lawyer, said immigration authorities had informed his legal team in writing that the former chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Party could remain as a visitor for six months.
“This is what should have happened last Wednesday when he arrived,” Harris told Agence France-Presse.
The decision came after Wu’s representatives wrote to the British Home Office asking it to reconsider the seven-day limit.
“A letter has been sent to the Home Office telling them they have made a mistake and asking them to reconsider [the decision],” a source said earlier on Monday, before the six-month permission was granted.
“Where there are good grounds for thinking that the Home Office has got the law wrong, it is possible to bring a judicial review. But that is a very cumbersome and expensive process. So that is something of last resort.”
Wu, the former chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Party and an ex-lawmaker, was granted temporary admission after being refused entry at London Heathrow Airport last week.
He was released from a Hong Kong prison in late June after serving four years and five months in a landmark subversion case linked to his role in a 2020 unofficial primary election.
According to the source, Wu is considering applying for the British National (Overseas) pathway to UK citizenship, rather than seeking asylum, so he can reunite with his family who already live in Britain. The source said immigration officers may have misunderstood the relevant rules when they initially denied him entry.

Wu was later granted seven days’ temporary admission and ordered to leave the United Kingdom by Wednesday. His return flight, originally scheduled for November, was changed to Wednesday by the authorities, according to the source.
Introduced in 2021, the BN(O) scheme allows eligible Hongkongers and their dependants to live, work and study in Britain, with a path to citizenship after five years.
According to the UK government website, an individual can apply for a BN(O) visa from within the country. British immigration rules also state that applicants must be in the UK when they apply for permission to stay.
“[Wu] told the immigration officers that he was thinking that he might apply for the BN(O) scheme, but he had not yet decided,” the source told the SCMP.
“The immigration officer said, ‘I am not satisfied you are going to leave at the end of your stay, so I am going to refuse you entry’.”
Wu’s criminal records and his national security case were not raised during his detention, nor were they mentioned in the refusal letter he received, the source said.
In reply to SCMP queries, a UK Home Office spokesman said the authorities were working to resolve the situation, but declined to comment on individual cases.
“The [British] government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK,” he added.
The SCMP contacted the Home Office again following the decision to grant Wu six months’ permission to visit.
The 63-year-old was among 45 former politicians and activists convicted of conspiracy to subvert state power under the national security law for their roles in the 2020 pan-democratic camp’s unofficial primary election. Two others were acquitted.
Wu pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years and five months in prison.
The High Court ruled that the primary, which aimed to boost the opposition’s chances of securing a legislative majority, formed part of a plan to “undermine, destroy or overthrow” authorities.
The SCMP has sought comment from Wu.


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Wu Chi-wai considering BN(O) visa after UK authorities reverse order limiting his stay to seven days


Wu Chi-wai considering BN(O) visa after UK authorities reverse order limiting his stay to seven days.


Ex-Hong Kong opposition leader granted 6-month UK stay

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Wu Chi-wai considering BN(O) visa after UK authorities reverse order limiting his stay to seven days

Wu Chi-wai considering BN(O) visa after UK authorities reverse order limiting his stay to seven days