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RESOLVES:

1.     
That this Council:

a)     
recognises the significant number of residents in Milton Keynes who
arrived in the UK under the British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa
scheme, particularly from Hong Kong, seeking safety, stability, and
the chance to build a new life;

b)     
acknowledges the contributions that BNO visa holders have made to
our local economy, public services, voluntary organisations, and
communities across the city;

c)     
notes that the UK Government’s white paper on immigration,
published on 12 May 2025, proposes to extend the Indefinite Leave
to Remain (ILR) qualifying period from five to ten years for most
visa routes — including the BNO route — with limited
detail on how exceptions for “contributions to society or the
economy” will be assessed;

d)      is
concerned that this proposed change, if applied retrospectively,
risks undermining trust in the UK Government’s original
commitment to a five-year pathway for ILR for BNO visa holders,
many of whom are now approaching that milestone and have built
their lives around it; and

e)     
recognises the sense of anxiety, uncertainty, and potential
injustice now being felt by BNO residents in Milton Keynes who took
up the UK’s offer in good faith.

2.     
That this Council believes that:

a)     
the original five-year pathway to ILR should be honoured for those
already living in the UK under the BNO visa scheme;

b)     
immigration policy must be predictable, transparent, and fair,
especially for those who have made long-term life decisions based
on official government guidance; and

c)     
the BNO visa route reflects the UK’s moral and historical
responsibility to the people of Hong Kong, and this responsibility
should be upheld with integrity.

3.     
That this Council resolves to:

a)     
ask the Chief Executive and Group Leaders to write to the Secretary
of State for the Home Department urging the Government to guarantee
that BNO visa holders already in the UK will not be subject to the
extended ten-year ILR requirement;

b)     
request urgent clarification from the Government on how
“contributions to the economy or society” will be
assessed for potential exemptions, and how transparency and
fairness will be ensured in this process;

c)     
ask all three Group Leaders to write to the Members of Parliament
for Milton Keynes, requesting their active support in advocating
for the rights of local BNO residents and pressing for the original
terms of the BNO scheme to be upheld; and

d)     
work with community leaders, local voluntary organisations, and BNO
residents to provide support, raise awareness, and ensure their
voices are heard in the national conversation.