Pro-democracy activist Wu Chi-wai has been given the green light to stay in the United Kingdom for six months as a visitor, according to his attorney, following a tense standoff with British immigration officials after his release from a Hong Kong prison where he had been held for over five years.
Attorney Paul Harris told The Associated Press on Tuesday that immigration authorities sent a letter to Wu’s legal team confirming the six-month visitor status. Harris noted that Wu is the former chairman of Hong Kong’s once-largest pro-democracy political party, and that his family currently lives in the U.K.
Wu himself declined to make any comment on the matter.
The decision by British authorities followed considerable alarm sparked when Wu entered the country last week on a seven-day immigration bail. Rights organizations and members of the Hong Kong diaspora living both in the U.K. and in Hong Kong voiced serious concern about his uncertain immigration status.
Wu was among 47 activists who faced charges in 2021 in what became Hong Kong’s largest prosecution under a national security law imposed by Beijing — a law that effectively dismantled the territory’s once-active democracy movement. In 2024, Wu received a sentence of four years and five months in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit subversion related to his participation in an unofficial primary election.
In an interview with the AP on Sunday, Wu described how he had been told he could only remain in Britain until Wednesday, as border officials suspected he might have intentions beyond a simple visit — such as pursuing long-term residency. He expressed worry that the short window would rob him of meaningful time with his family following years of forced separation, and that the immigration record could complicate future trips to see them.
The U.K. Home Office confirmed on Monday that Wu would not be removed on Wednesday and that he does have official permission to be in the country.
