BNO護照是什麼?

7月1日，在香港國安法正式實施後，英國首相詹森在國會發言時表示，英方將向30萬英國國民（海外）護照（BNO）持有者和近300萬符合資質持有BNO的港人提供「5+1」升級方案，即讓BNO持有者享5年有限居留許可，之後可申請定居，繼而再定居滿1年後可申請做英國公民。

中國外交部發言人趙立堅在2日的例行記者會對此做出回應：英方無視中方嚴正立場，執意改變政策，為有關人員在英居留和入籍提供路徑，嚴重違背自身承諾，嚴重違反國際法和國際關係基本準則。而近日，網絡上出現謠言稱「（香港）政府很快會刊登憲報，要公務員宣誓及強制放棄BNO」，隨即香港特區政府發表新聞公報澄清：並無此事。BNO成為了輿論的焦點，但它到底是什麼？為什麼會引起爭議？英國政府此次的提議又意味著什麼呢？

London recently announced that Hong Kong residents holding British National Overseas (BNO) passports can come to Britain and seek citizenship after a five-year period, a plan which Beijing has expressed firm opposition to. 

The announcement came after the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) took effect on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, some media reports on Friday said the HKSAR government was planning to force its employees to give up their BNO passports. The HKSAR government has denied the claim. 

As the BNO passport becomes a focus in the ongoing dispute, CGTN explains what it is, what the British proposal means and why the proposal is controversial.

只是旅行證件，並不享有公民權利

Travel document without citizenship rights

BNO是由英國政府在1997年香港回歸之前發給香港人的一種護照，它其實可以被看成一種旅行證件，並不享有公民權利。BNO持有者被允許免籤到訪英國，但停留時間在六個月內，沒有居留權也不能在英工作，同時不享受任何公共福利。

The BNO passport is basically a travel document that does not carry citizenship rights. It was issued to people in Hong Kong by the United Kingdom before Hong Kong returned to China in 1997. 

The passport allows its carriers to visit Britain visa-free for six months, but they do not have the right of abode and cannot work in the country, nor do they have access to public funds, like government benefits. 

目前在香港有大約30萬人持有BNO，同時另有250萬到270萬人有資格申請。

英國表示將把BNO持有者免籤進入英國的時間從六個月延長到五年,並允許他們在英國工作、學習和定居,並在一年後可申請成為正式公民。這些變化可能影響多達300萬香港人。

There are currently around 300,000 BNO passport holders in Hong Kong and a further 2.5 to 2.7 million people are eligible to apply for one. 

The UK said it will expand the visa-free access of Hong Kong's BNO passport holders from six months to five years and give them the right to work and study in Britain during that period. They will then be able to apply for settled status and seek official citizenship after a year. The changes could potentially affect up to 3 million people in Hong Kong.

中國：英國違背自身立場和承諾

China: UK is breaking its own position

上周四，中國駐英國大使館發言人就BNO一事答記者問。

發言人表示，關於英國國民（海外）護照問題，英方曾與中方互換備忘錄，明確承諾不給予持有英國國民（海外）護照的香港中國公民在英居留權。中國全國人大常委會在《關於<中華人民共和國國籍法>在香港特區實施的幾個問題的解釋》中明確指出，所有香港中國同胞，不論其是否持有「英國屬土公民護照」或者「英國國民（海外）護照」，都是中國公民。

如果英方執意單方面改變有關做法，不僅違背自身立場和承諾，也違反國際法和國際關係基本準則。我們對此堅決反對，並保留採取相應措施的權利。中方敦促英方客觀公正看待香港特區維護國家安全立法問題，尊重中方立場和關切，不以任何方式幹涉香港事務。

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Britain said Thursday that China firmly opposes Britain's offer to provide more privileges for Hong Kong residents holding BNO passports, and reserves the right to take corresponding measures. 

The embassy's spokesperson said that with regard to the BNO passport, in memoranda exchanged between the two sides, the British side declared it would not confer the right of abode to Chinese citizens in Hong Kong holding BNO passports. 

"If the British side makes unilateral changes to the relevant practice, it will breach its own position and pledges as well as international law and basic norms governing international relations," the spokesperson said. 

The spokesperson also urged the UK to view objectively and fairly the national security legislation for Hong Kong, respect China's position and concerns, and refrain from interfering in Hong Kong affairs in any form.

「虛偽的」提議

'Hypocritical' offer

一邊，英國表示要為多達300萬香港居民提供工作權和獲得未來英國國籍的途徑，可另一邊，疫情下的英國自身卻面臨著嚴重的失業問題。

英國國家統計局的數據顯示，五月份申請失業救濟的人數上升至280萬人，是1993年以來的最高水平。專家預測，由於新冠疫情，這一數字今年可能激增至350萬人。

在這種情況下，鮑裡斯卻提議，允許來自香港的BNO持有者在獲得國籍之前申請在英國工作。批評人士說，這會給英國的就業系統造成巨大的壓力。While the UK offers up to 3 million Hong Kong residents the right to work and a pathway to future British citizenship, the country itself is facing serious unemployment problems amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Data from the UK National Statistics office shows the number of people claiming unemployment benefits rose to 2.8 million in May, the highest since 1993. Experts predict this number could surge to 3.5 million this year as a result of the pandemic. But according to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's offer, BNO passport holders from Hong Kong would be able to apply to work in the UK before gaining citizenship. Critics say the strain on the country's job system would be too great.

"I don't think that the government has actually thought through its policy in Hong Kong and what would it means if these three million people were coming into Britain," Ben Chacko, a British political commentator and editor of the Morning Star, told CGTN.  

"I think they just picked a number out in the air in order to annoy the Chinese government without thinking through the consequences of what they are doing," Chacko added. 

一些批評人士還認為，這一提議與英國的移民政策不符。奪回邊境的控制權是英國脫歐的主要重點之一。英國一直對移民持強硬立場。 今年2月，英國政府在移民政策中引入了積分制，獲得積分的方法包括達到一定的收入水平和擁有一定的工作經驗。然而，鮑裡斯的提議對來自香港的BNO持有者沒有設置收入上的要求。

The offer also contradicts the UK's immigration policies, he suggested. 

Taking back control of its borders was one of the UK's main focuses in Brexit. And the country has been taking a tough stance on immigration. In February, the British government introduced a points-based system for migrants. Ways to gain points include reaching a certain income level and work experience. 

However, there would be no income test requirement in the path to citizenship or cap on numbers for BNO passport holders from Hong Kong. 

"I think that this shows how hypocritical the government is, because actually there's a global refugee crisis, there are thousands of people who are drowning in the Mediterranean trying to reach to safety in Europe and the British government does not let these people in, and yet suddenly they are offering this ridiculous figure of three million people coming from Hong Kong," Chacko said. 

"If they (the British government) are so concerned about protecting people, there are lots of refugees that they could be taking in," he said.