Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong and BNO passports. Photo: Handout
China's grip on Hong Kong has led to many of its residents permanently migrating to the United Kingdom and having their retirement money (Mandatory Provident Fund) withdrawal hopes dashed.
According to the existing regulations, anyone who desires to leave Hong Kong on a long-term basis is entitled to access to savings they have accrued in Hong Kong’s compulsory pension system, the Mandatory Provident Fund.
However, those residents who emigrate with a British National (Overseas) passport cannot use that to withdraw their money before the retirement age of 65, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) said.
For those moving to the UK, not being able to access their pension money has palpable financial impacts. Recent cases include a woman who left in fear of repercussions from her role in protests and now has thousands of US dollars trapped in her pension fund; a middle-aged man born and raised in Hong Kong who has vowed never to return and is shut out from his nest egg of more than US$60,000; and another who is struggling to buy an apartment in the UK because his down payment is stuck on the other side of the world.
Emigration has been top of mind for many residents after Hong Kong’s government in March passed Article 23, a domestic security law that was fast-tracked at Beijing’s urging, and which has been harshly criticised by foreign governments for curbing fundamental freedoms.
“With Article 23, there will be more people trying to leave Hong Kong, more people trying to get early withdrawals to build their new lives, and more denials,” said Megan Khoo, research and policy advisor at Hong Kong Watch, which estimates that people who emigrated to the UK using the BN(O) passport have been denied access to more than US$3.8 billion in retirement savings since 2021.
BN(O) passports give people born before Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 and their families the right to move to the UK and a pathway to full British citizenship, with more than 140,000 people using the emigration route since it was expanded by then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021.
香港居民永久移居英國 38億美元提取強制公積金希望落空
中國對香港的控制導致許多香港居民永久移居英國，並導致退休金提取（強制性公積金）的希望破滅。
根據現行規定，任何希望長期離開香港的人都有權動用他們在香港強制性退休金制度——強制性公積金中積累的儲蓄。
然而，強制性公積金計畫管理局（積金局）表示，持有英國國民（海外）護照移民的居民，在65歲退休年齡之前，不能使用該護照提取資金。
對於那些移居英國的人來說，無法獲得退休金會產生明顯的財務影響。 最近的案例包括一名婦女因擔心自己在抗議活動中所扮演的角色而受到影響而離開，現在她的退休基金裡有數千美元被困； 一名在香港出生長大的中年男子，發誓永遠不會回來，並被排除在自己超過 6 萬美元的積蓄之外； 另一個人正在努力在英國購買一套公寓，因為他的首付被困在世界的另一邊。
香港政府今年3月通過了《國內安全法》第23條，此後，移民成為許多居民最關心的問題。批評。
香港觀察研究和政策顧問梅根·邱(Megan Khoo) 表示：「隨著第23 條的實施，將會有更多的人試圖離開香港，更多的人試圖提前撤離以建立新的生活，也會有更多的人遭到拒絕。
英國國民（海外）護照賦予1997 年香港回歸中國之前出生的人及其家人移居英國的權利，以及獲得正式英國公民身份的途徑，自英國擴大移民途徑以來，已有超過14 萬人使用這條移民途徑。
Source: The Business Times
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