Ex-Hong Kong opposition leader Wu Chi-wai enters UK for asylum after border detention – report

The former leader of Hong Kong’s opposition Democratic Party Wu Chi-wai has reportedly entered the UK to seek asylum after being detained at Heathrow Airport, where he was initially told he would be deported, according to media reports.

Wu Chi-wai. File Photo: Kris Cheng/HKFP.

The Times first reported on Thursday, citing friends, that Wu had arrived in the UK to seek asylum. The 63-year-old was released from prison last month after serving four years and five months for conspiracy to commit subversion in the city’s largest national security case.

Travelling on British National Overseas (BNO) passport, Wu was stopped at London’s Heathrow, The Times reported citing UK-based Paul Harris, a former chair of the Hong Kong Bar Association.

“The immigration officer just told him he was confiscating his passport and that he would be deported back to Hong Kong in seven days,” Harris said.

Later on Thursday, Hong Kong media outlets reported that Wu had been granted entry into the UK following a 10-hour detention at the border.

London. Photo: Wikicommons.

A Home Office spokesperson told HKFP: “The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK. We do not routinely comment on individual cases.”

It is understood that there was an administrative issue related to Wu’s paperwork at the border, HKFP has learned from sources familiar with the matter. The matter was not connected to the democrat’s status in Hong Kong.

47 democrats trial

The Times reported that Wu was seeking to obtain UK residence via a scheme for BNO holders introduced in 2021, which allows a fast-tracked pathway to permanent settlement after five years – compared to a standard 10 years for most migrants.

Wu regained his freedom last month and was the 20th defendant in the landmark “Hong Kong 47” case to have completed his prison term after being convicted of conspiring to commit subversion under the Beijing-imposed national security law in 2024.

The case revolved around an unofficial election primary in July 2020 through which the city’s opposition camp hoped to shortlist candidates to maximise the chance of winning a legislative majority in an upcoming poll.

Judges ruled that, if the defendants achieved a majority, they intended to abuse their powers to indiscriminately veto the government budget and force the chief executive to resign. That would create a “constitutional crisis,” the judges said.

Including Wu, 45 defendants were convicted, with legal scholar Benny Tai receiving a 10-year jail term – the longest in the case. Two were acquitted.

A Correctional Services Vehicle leaves West Kowloon Law Courts Building on November 19, 2024, after 45 pro-democracy figures were sentenced to up to 10 years in jail. Fle photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The UK granted tens of thousands of BNO passports to Hongkongers before it handed the city over to Beijing in 1997.

BNO holders can apply for asylum after arriving in the UK rather than from overseas, according to The Times.

Hundreds of thousands of Hongkongers have migrated to the UK since 2021, including prominent pro-democracy activists such as Nathan Law and Finn Lau – both are among those wanted by Hong Kong national security police.

Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.