Communist spies from mainland China are impersonating Hong Kong refugees to infiltrate the United Kingdom through the resettlement scheme offered by the British government.

Following the Chinese Communist Party’s imposition of a draconian national security law on the former British colony of Hong Kong, the British government opened up a path to citizenship for British National (Overseas) holders in the city.

To date, some 30,000 Hong Kongers have applied for the programme to escape the vicious crackdown of the authoritarian regime in Beijing, but British government sources have told The Times that Chinese “sleeper agents” have infiltrated the refugee scheme.

Responding to the report, the founder and chairman of Hong Kong Watch, Benedict Rogers, told Breitbart London: “This is an outrageous abuse of the UK’s incredibly generous visa programme for Hong Kongers.

“The British government must tighten up its security vetting procedures, in a way that does not hinder genuine Hong Kongers wishing to take up the scheme but does protect the UK’s national security and the security of Hong Kongers fleeing here.”

The last British governor of Hong Kong, Lord Chris Patten of Barnes, said, according to The Times: “We are dealing with a totalitarian state which uses informers. If anybody has fears that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will seek to place informers and people who will steal security secrets in open societies then they are entirely justified. We should get real about this.”

“There are stringent background checks in place for the visa applications — and they’re in place for a reason,” government sources told The Times, adding: “The vetting process for the BNO visa scheme is much more thorough than any other.”

The national security law was passed in May of last year, under the guise of preventing terrorism. However, it was widely regarded as a clampdown on the freedoms promised to the city in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

The internationally binding treaty guaranteed a certain amount of freedom and autonomy to the city for 50 years, under the banner of “One Country, Two Systems”, after the former British colony was handed over to the communists in 1997.

Lord Patten said: “I think what has happened in Hong Kong is the deliberate and conscious breaking of a treaty by the government of China. They are now setting about to destroy a people’s way of life and the rule of law, and people who believe in freedom of speech and the rule of law are leaving and I am delighted that the government is allowing them to stay.”

The law also claims to have universal jurisdiction, meaning that the Chinese government believes it could be used to extradite political dissidents throughout the world.

An infiltration of Chinese spies has been a major concern for the Hong Kongers who have sought refuge in Britain, with former employee of the United Kingdom’s Consulate in Hong Kong Simon Cheng — who was tortured in mainland China in 2019 — claiming that he is being followed by communist agents in London.

Civil rights campaigner Jabez Lam, who has been assisting Hong Kong refugees upon their arrival in the United Kingdom, said that there are concerns among those fleeing that Chinese people in Britain will report them to Beijing.

“For individuals arriving from Hong Kong, they don’t know which organisation is pro-Chinese Communist Party or which organisation is neutral,” Lam said.

“When I am first in contact with them, most of them are very wary and it takes a long time to gain their trust. I think most of them have post-traumatic stress disorder from their experiences of the oppression, persecution and suppression in Hong Kong. There is also the fear of the safety of their family even when they are here.”

Lam went on to warn that the government should be cautious of allowing members of the Hong Kong police into the resettlement scheme as they “took part in the oppression and suppression of people”.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “There are safeguards in place throughout the application process to ensure it is free from abuse and helps those most in need. The BNO visa route reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to the people of Hong Kong.”

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