Renouncing British citizenship is straightforward – and so is revoking the decision.
Missing bookseller Lee Po’s declaration that he would cancel his citizenship has put the acquisition and relinquishment of citizenship under a spotlight.
If the political books publisher meant what he said, the process would require that he complete little more than a six-page document. It remained unclear whether Lee merely expressed his intentions or had already filed formal paperwork to set the process in motion.
READ MORE: I sneaked into mainland China illegally to help an investigation ... and gave up my British citizenship too, says missing Hong Kong bookseller Lee Po
In an interview with mainland Chinese media, Lee said he notified Britain that he and his wife had decided to abandon their UK citizenship.
Lee’s declaration in the video, aired on Monday night, raised scepticism given continuing questions surrounding how and why the bookseller disappeared from Hong Kong in December last year.
The cost of renouncing one’s citizenship in Britain is HK$2,416.
London grants a person over the age of 18 and of full mental capacity the right to “give up” citizenship if the person already holds another nationality or seeks another one.
After a renunciation form is signed, documentary evidence including a passport, birth certificate or a letter from another country to state that the person is of a different citizenship is sent back to Britain to be processed.
But the UK Home Office allows people to regain their status through multiple channels.
READ MORE: Hong Kong police allowed to meet missing bookseller six weeks after they asked to see him in mainland China
The process contains safeguards to ensure that if a person gave up citizenship “for any other reason” beyond the stated requirements, the British Home Secretary could allow him or her to resume citizenship depending on the circumstances.
Despite a declaration that one is no longer a British citizen, the decision to renounce could be revoked – at a cost of HK$9,884.
The process to reinstate one’s UK citizenship is straightforward, unless the person has a declared criminal record. But the Home Office stated applicants must be of “good character” and “not of unsound mind” in their reinstatement.
In contrast, the cost for relinquishing one’s United States citizenship is HK$18,800 and does not affect a person’s American tax liabilities.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51ku6bD0mifqKaXYriwusZop6ikmam2pL%2BOmqmtoZOhsnB9mGpwbW1jZK%2Bwu8qsnKWklad6rbHEZqeoq12luaK6jKucp6elo7Cmeceiqmatm2KwqsDIs5ynq5ievW6vzq6jnQ%3D%3D