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UK MP Barred from Entering Hong Kong During Family Visit

Wera Hobhouse, the first British MP denied entry since 1997, faces diplomatic fallout as UK officials demand explanations from China.

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A demonstrator waves U.K. national flags, also known as the Union Jack, as an altered version of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) flag flies at half mast outside West Kowloon Station during a protest in Hong Kong, China, on Sunday, July 7, 2019. Hong Kong police arrested five people while dispersing a protest Sunday in one of the financial hub's busiest tourist districts, the latest demonstration triggered by a proposed law that would allow extraditions of criminals to mainland China for the first time. Photographer: Alex Hofford/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Britain's Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse is seen on a screen as she speaks during Urgent Question at the House of Commons in London, Britain April 26, 2021. UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Overview

  • Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was denied entry to Hong Kong on Thursday while traveling to visit her son and meet her newborn grandson.
  • Hobhouse was detained at the airport, questioned, had her passport confiscated, and was placed on a return flight to the UK without explanation.
  • She is the first British MP to be refused entry to Hong Kong since its 1997 handover to China, a move believed to be linked to her membership in the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).
  • UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey have condemned the incident, calling it an affront to democratic principles and free movement.
  • The UK government is engaging with Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to demand accountability, as the incident highlights growing tensions over human rights and political freedoms in Hong Kong.