On Monday (July 27), British authorities changed the immigration arrangements for Wu Chi-wai, former chairman of the Democratic Party of Hong Kong and former member of the Legislative Council. The restriction that originally allowed him to stay in the country for only one week has been lifted, now permitting him to stay in the UK for six months as a visitor.
According to a report from the Associated Press, Wu Chi-wai’s representative lawyer, Paul Harris, confirmed this news.
Arriving in London on July 22, Wu Chi-wai planned to visit his wife and son who had relocated to the UK in 2022. After being questioned by border officials at the airport, his passport was confiscated, and he was only granted a 7-day “immigration bail,” requiring him to leave by July 29.
Border officials suspected that Wu Chi-wai’s visit was not solely for the purpose of family reunion but might involve seeking long-term residency or other objectives. The UK’s The Times previously reported, citing sources, that Wu Chi-wai might be planning to apply for political asylum. However, Wu Chi-wai denied this claim to the Associated Press, emphasizing that his trip was solely to reunite with his family.
Wu Chi-wai mentioned that he had a criminal conviction in Hong Kong and had communicated with relevant authorities such as the British Consulate General in Hong Kong regarding immigration issues before his departure. However, he was still interrogated upon arrival in the UK.
Following the exposure of the incident, it drew attention from the Hong Kong community in the UK and human rights organizations. The UK Home Office later confirmed that Wu would not be required to leave by the originally designated deadline, but citing the reason of not commenting on individual cases, did not specify the exact reasons for the initial restriction of a 7-day stay.
Wu Chi-wai is one of the defendants in the “47 pro-democracy figures subversion case” in Hong Kong. In 2020, the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong held unofficial legislative primary elections with the aim of coordinating candidates to secure a majority in the Legislative Council. The following year, Hong Kong police conducted massive arrests of participants, with 47 individuals charged with “conspiracy to subvert state power.”
In 2024, Wu Chi-wai was sentenced to 4 years and 5 months in prison. Including the pre-trial detention period, he was deprived of freedom for over 5 years from the time of his arrest in early 2021 until his release at the end of June 2026. He was released just last month. He previously mentioned that during his time in prison, his contact with his family was restricted, and he was unable to properly accompany and bid farewell to his parents when they passed away.
The approved six-month visitor permit in this instance does not equate to political asylum, British National (Overseas) BN(O) Visa, or permanent residency rights.