[Opinion: Chinese are forcing foreign governments to hand over political dissidents. In Thailand, even those with refugee status are expected to be deported, as in the case of Zhang Xinyan. Exchanging free speech for prifit from China.] Britain promised to protect Hongkongers from China. Activists under threat from Beijing are facing strange difficulties with UK immigration. Their safety must not be traded for warmer relations with China Nathan Law The Guardian: 28 Jul 2026 SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/28/britain-hong-kong-china-activists-immigration As authoritarian countries such as Russia, China and Iran are more active in engaging in long-arm strategies to silence their critics in the UK, transnational repression is garnering more attention. It is right that the Metropolitan police and other British law enforcement agencies have specific units and mechanisms to counter it. But it takes more than just confronting this long-distance repression to make political dissidents of these authoritarian countries feel safe in the UK, and the UK government is not living up to expectations. The threat is real. Members of the Hongkonger community have received threats from the Chinese regime – some have had threatening letters, some people were deepfaked into sexual content, some even had families questioned and arrested back home. With the level of this targeting linked to the deterioration of Hong Kong politics, many have utilised the humanitarian pathway enabled by the previous government to relocate. Where is the humanity here? After years unable to hug his family or hold their hands, Wu’s reunion was halted almost before it began. What would he have done with his family in seven days, after so long a separation? Even asking this question feels cruel. Nathan Law is a pro-democracy activist and former legislator from Hong Kong. He is currently a political refugee in the UK
