Hong Kong citizens fear deportation after years left in limbo

Britain vowed to protect those fleeing its former colony, but exiles say they don't know if they will be granted asylum

- Amy Hawkins and May James

In March 2021, less than a month after his 18th birthday, Lawson, who does not want to reveal his full name, made a decision that would change the course of his life. The previous year, Lawson, like thousands of other Hongkongers, had taken to the streets to participate in pro-democracy protests against the influence of the Chinese Communist party. In November 2019, he said he had been arrested for rioting before being released without charge.

In June 2020, Beijing declared victory over the protesters and imposed a draconian national security law. By January 2021, the police had arrested dozens of pro-democracy activists and protesters, who faced charges that could carry a life sentence.

Lawson saw the writing on the wall, and a friend bought him a plane ticket to London. But his trauma continues. He is one of a growing number of Hongkongers left in limbo in the UK, fearing deportation in an asylum system where the average wait for a decision is more than a year.

As of December 2022, 160 Hongkongers in the UK were awaiting decisions on their asylum applications, more than double the number two years earlier. And 13  were deported or left the UK voluntarily after being rejected for asylum in 2020 and 2021.

In early 2021, Dominic Raab, then the UK’s foreign secretary, said Hong Kong’s security law breached international law, and the UK was opening its doors to those who wanted to flee.