According to reports by British media, since the new UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, took office, the UK Home Office has significantly tightened its approval standards for BNO visa applications. To date, at least 12 Hong Kong residents who took part in the 2019 anti-extradition (bill) protests in Hong Kong -- the so-called "black violence" riots -- and were convicted of the offence of rioting by Hong Kong courts have had their BNO visa applications rejected by the UK side. The moment the news broke, those who had blindly followed the trend and joined the "black violence" back then were pushed into a predicament: unable to go forward or retreat, caught in a situation where they cannot "land" on either shore.
During the 2019 riots, the opposition camp and external forces went all out to advocate "achieving justice through law-breaking", dressing up rioting and destruction as so-called "democratic resistance." Yet when this group of law-breaking offenders tried to treat BNO status as a "safe haven," reality dealt them a heavy blow.
According to the reports, in the refusal letters, the UK Home Office stated plainly that if the applicants' related conduct had occurred within the UK, it would equally constitute criminal activity, and therefore no visa would be issued. Some rejected applicants tried to explain their actions by claiming they were "pursuing democratic justice," but the UK side did not accept this. Instead, it cited Hong Kong court rulings and evidence to make clear that the relevant violent criminal acts would likewise be unacceptable under UK law.
The UK's approach fully reflects the fact that no country will accept illegal violent offenders who disrupt public order and social stability. In the end, those who break the law must bear the consequences themselves. The violent rioters once hailed as "pawns" have now been reduced to "discarded pieces." The "protective umbrellas" that foreign governments have claimed have never been anything more than illusory political bargaining chips.
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