British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has vowed to urgently seek answers from Chinese authorities after UK lawmaker Wera Hobhouse was denied entry to Hong Kong. The incident marks the first time since the 1997 handover of the former British colony that a British Member of Parliament has been refused entry upon arrival.
Hobhouse, 65, who represents the Liberal Democrats and is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), was traveling to Hong Kong on a personal visit to meet her newborn grandson. According to reports from The Sunday Times, she was detained at the airport, questioned about her profession and purpose of visit, had her luggage searched, and was ultimately escorted to a boarding gate and deported without explanation.
On social media platform Bluesky, Hobhouse expressed her dismay: “I am the first MP to be refused entry on arrival to Hong Kong since 1997. Authorities gave me no explanation for this cruel and upsetting blow.” She urged the Foreign Secretary to respond, calling the incident “an insult to all parliamentarians.”
Lammy responded swiftly, stating, “It is deeply concerning to hear that an MP on a personal trip has been refused entry to Hong Kong. We will urgently raise this with the authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing to demand an explanation.” He emphasized that restricting freedom of movement due to political views is unacceptable and warned that such actions would damage Hong Kong’s international reputation.
The move comes amid growing concerns over Hong Kong’s political climate. The city’s once-powerful Democratic Party is on the brink of dissolution, with members set to vote on the issue. The party has struggled under Beijing’s sweeping national security laws imposed after the 2019 pro-democracy protests, which have led to arrests and convictions of many prominent activists.
Hobhouse’s exclusion, following a similar incident involving British MPs denied entry to Israel last week, raises fresh questions about the treatment of lawmakers abroad and the global implications of political dissent. The British government’s response will likely set the tone for future diplomatic relations with both Hong Kong and Beijing.
