(Bloomberg) -- The number of Hong Kongers applying for a visa that provides a pathway to U.K. citizenship fell far short of Home Office estimates despite the political crackdown in the city.
There were 103,900 applications for British National (Overseas) permits in the first year of the program, which was introduced following the imposition of a national security law on the former British colony. That's 15% below the lower end of the government expectations.
Thousands of residents have left Hong Kong over the past two years, as as the city's Covid Zero strategy imposes some of the world's strictest border curbs. The weekly net outflow of people from the city climbed to its highest level since the start of the pandemic in the week ended Feb. 20, the latest data show.
The number of BNO applicants continued to decline in the three months through December, data published Thursday show. Some people using the route found themselves unable to take their retirement money with them, Bloomberg reported in August, as China cracks down on the city's freedoms.
Residents may have delayed relocating to the U.K. last year because of the country's rampant Covid outbreak, while Hong Kong was entirely spared from the delta variant. With the Asian financial hub now reporting a surge in omicron infections, and every confirmed case required to enter government quarantine, Hong Kong's appeal as a haven from Covid will likely be diminished.
It is too early to tell if the applications have peaked, said Johnny Patterson, policy director at U.K.-based charity Hong Kong Watch, which promotes human rights. Applications were higher in previous quarters because of families' need to plan for schooling, he said.
Read more: Hong Kong Departures Climb to Pandemic High as Residents Flee
Read more: Hong Kong's Brain Drain Worsens as Expats, Locals Flee City
Read more: The British Passport Stoking Controversy in Hong Kong: QuickTake
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