Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the debate on 5 January (HL Deb, cols 596–7), what assessment they have made of the cost of citizenship registration fees for children; what steps they plan to take to address this; and what plans they have to extend the British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa scheme to those from Hong Kong aged 18–25 as long as one parent has BNO status.
Answer
The Home Office has acknowledged the High Court’s judgment and is reviewing the fee in line with its duties under Section 55.
A Supreme Court hearing on Child Registration fees took place on 23 and 24 June 2021. We await the final judgment and the ongoing section 55 review before publishing results.
The BN(O) route is an unprecedented and generous offer reflecting the UK’s historic and moral commitment to the people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status at the point of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997. However, we are sympathetic to the circumstances of those aged 18 to 25 who live in Hong Kong and are looking at whether more can be done to support them.