• 11/10/2024

Hong Kong residents warned to ‘attend to personal safety’ in UK amid anti-immigrant riots

Hong Kong Free Press

Hong Kong travel alert UK riots

The Hong Kong government has warned residents to exercise caution if they plan to visit the UK or are already in the country amid ongoing anti-immigrant riots that broke out last week.

Police officers face off with protesters during a 'Enough is Enough' demonstration called by far-right activists in Weymouth, on the southwest coast of England where the Bibby Stockholm migrant accommodation barge is moored, on August 4, 2024. - Far-right protesters clashed with British police during tense rallies as unrest linked to disinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three young girls spread across the UK. Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP.
Police officers face off with protesters during a ‘Enough is Enough’ demonstration called by far-right activists in Weymouth, on the southwest coast of England where the Bibby Stockholm migrant accommodation barge is moored, on August 4, 2024. Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP.

In an official statement on Tuesday evening, residents were reminded that an “Amber Outbound Travel Alert… issued against the United Kingdom was still in force.” Under the warning, Hongkongers are advised to exercise caution while in the UK.

“Residents who intend to visit the country or are already there should monitor the situation, exercise caution, attend to personal safety, avoid large gatherings of people and pay attention to local announcements on the latest situation,” the statement read.

The warning came as more than 400 people were arrested and around a hundred charged linked to the violent clashes across the UK that erupted after three young girls died in a mass stabbing in Southport last Monday.

False rumours spread online that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker as far-right violence escalated across the country. Mosques were targeted as rioters stormed a hotel in Rotherham that was used to house immigrants and asylum seekers. Dozens of police officers were injured.

A 17-year-old British man was arrested in connection with the stabbing.

Last Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the unrest as an “assault on the rule of law and the execution of justice,” saying the rioters would not be allowed to “hide behind the legitimate right to protest in order to wreak havoc and intimidation in our communities.”

UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also slammed the riots as “thuggery,” adding police officers across the country would act swiftly to stop the violent disorder and “make sure criminals pay the price.”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. File photo: Simon Dawson /No 10 Downing Street.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. File photo: Simon Dawson /No 10 Downing Street.

The Hong Kong government said on Tuesday that Hongkongers based in the UK may call a 24-hour hotline operated by the Immigration Department if they needed assistance. They may also reach out to the department via a mobile chatbot, WhatsApp and WeChat. The Chinese Embassy in the UK also had a consular protection hotline.

Hong Kong residents should register their contact details and itinerary with the Immigration Department using the Registration of Outbound Travel Information service, the government said. It would allow the authorities to disseminate information to them on a timely basis when necessary, the government said.

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https://hongkongfp.com/2024/08/07/hong-kong-residents-warned-to-attend-to-personal-safety-in-uk-amid-anti-immigrant-riots/