Britain’s government announced Wednesday that it will open a new special pathway to obtaining U.K. citizenship for eligible Hong Kongers as of January, taking another step toward solidifying a policy denounced by China.
In a statement, the Home Office said holders of the British National Overseas passport and their immediate family members can move to the U.K. to work and study. The change to immigration rules was introduced after Beijing imposed a new, sweeping national security law on Hong Kong.
“Today’s announcement shows the U.K. is keeping its word: We will not look the other way on Hong Kong, and we will not duck our historic responsibilities to its people,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.
Britain announced in early July it was extending residency rights for up to 3 million people eligible for the British National Overseas passport in Hong Kong, stressing that it would uphold its duty to the former British colony after the new law was imposed.
Eligible individuals from Hong Kong currently can come to the U.K. for six months without a visa. They will have the right to live and work in the country for five years. After that, they will be allowed to apply for settled status and then again for citizenship.
Those eligible can access the British job market at any skill level and without a salary threshold, but won’t have access to public funds.
The U.K. introduced a special, limited type of British nationality in the 1980s for people who were a “British dependent territories citizen by connection with Hong Kong.” The passports did not confer nationality or the automatic right to live and work in Britain, but entitled holders to consular assistance from U.K. diplomatic posts.
Britain handed over Hong Kong, its former colony, to Chinese rule in 1997 under a “One Country, Two Systems” framework that was supposed to guarantee the city a high degree of autonomy and Western-style civil liberties not seen on mainland China.
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III has chosen Westminster Abbey as the site of his Christmas Day speech on Thursday, reflecting the idea of pilgrimage that is expected to be a theme of the annual address to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
The central London landmark, known for the lavish coronations and royal weddings it has hosted for more than 1,000 years, is also the focus of an annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Edward the Confessor, which lies at the heart of the church. Edward, a monk-like monarch, was canonized as a saint in 1161.
The monarch’s annual holiday message is watched by millions of people in the U.K. and across the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 independent nations, most of which have historic ties to Britain. The prerecorded speech is broadcast at 3 p.m. (1500 GMT), when many families are enjoying their traditional Christmas lunch.
The speech is one of the rare occasions when Charles, 77, is able to voice his own views and doesn’t seek guidance from the government. It usually has a strong religious framework, reflects current issues and sometimes draws on the monarch’s personal experiences.
This year’s address comes just two weeks after Charles made a deeply personal television appearance in which he said “good news” from his doctors meant that he would be able to reduce his treatment for cancer in the new year.
The king was diagnosed with a still undisclosed form of cancer in early 2024. Buckingham Palace said that his treatment is now moving to a “precautionary phase” and his condition will be monitored to ensure his continued recovery.
Charles recorded last year’s speech at Fitzrovia Chapel, which was once part of the now demolished Middlesex Hospital. During that address, he honored care workers around the country and gave a special thanks to the doctors and nurses who supported him after his cancer diagnosis.
This year’s Christmas speech will be the fourth since Charles ascended to the throne after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died in September 2022.
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla lead as they arrive to attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive to attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive to attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive to attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's King Charles III during the recording of his Christmas message in the Lady Chapel of Westminster Abbey, central London, Thursday Dec. 11, 2025. (Aaron Chown/PA via AP, Pool)
