Hong Kong Activist Wu Chi-wai Allowed to Stay in UK

Former Hong Kong pro-democracy figure Wu Chi-wai has been allowed to remain in the UK with his family for six months after initially facing a deportation threat at the border, according to Wu and UK officials.

Border Detention at Heathrow

Wu, 63, arrived at London Heathrow Airport last Wednesday and was detained for nearly 10 hours, BBC Chinese reported. He said he was initially refused entry and told that he could stay for only one week, after which he would have to return to the airport to be deported.

On Monday, Wu said the UK Border Force approved his entry and granted him a standard stay of six months. He said he entered using a British National (Overseas) (BNO) passport, a travel document issued to eligible Hong Kong residents before the 1997 handover.

Six-Month Entry Approved

Wu, the former leader of the now-defunct Democratic Party, is among the most recognisable faces of the city’s now-quashed pro-democracy movement. He is also one of the “Hong Kong 47”, a group of prominent activists who were sentenced to jail after a national security trial.

He was released in June after serving more than five years in prison for convictions including subversion and other offences. Wu told BBC Chinese that his son and wife moved to the UK in 2022 and 2023. He said he had communicated with them only by monthly phone calls and letters since then, and had hoped to reunite during his visit.

Before travelling, Wu said he consulted staff at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong about whether his criminal record would cause problems. He said consular staff told him there would be none and that they would explain his record and travel itinerary to the UK Border Force.

Wu added that the Border Force later told him he was not considered a “genuine visitor” whose purpose was solely to visit family, according to his account.

Denies Asylum Bid

Wu denied that he intended to apply for political asylum in the UK, a claim previously reported in the media.

Rights group Hong Kong Watch, which had urged UK authorities to allow him to stay, welcomed the decision. Megan Khoo, the group’s policy director, said in a statement on Monday that it was the “right outcome” and that Wu should not have faced the prospect of removal back to a city where he had been jailed.

BNO Visas and Increasing Pressure on Activists

BNO passport holders are typically allowed to enter the UK visa-free for six months. Since 2021, the UK has also operated a visa programme for BNO passport holders. Those who receive the visa can work, study and live in the UK, with a route towards citizenship after they settle.

The expansion of the BNO offer came after large-scale pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong were met with a crackdown by authorities. Since then, the territory has faced tighter control from Beijing, with many pro-democracy figures forced to flee or imprisoned.

The UK government said more than 230,000 Hong Kong residents have been granted BNO visas and nearly 170,000 have already relocated to the UK.

The UK Home Office, which oversees the Border Force, told BBC Chinese on Monday that it does not comment on individual cases. It said the government “remains steadfast in its support for the Hong Kong community in the UK”.

A spokesperson for the HKSAR government told BBC Chinese that it has not received any requests for assistance from Hong Kong residents to date.

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29 July 2026

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