The UK has opened the “path to citizenship” for up to 300,000 people in Hong Kong after China passed a controversial security law that is seen as extending Chinese rule over the autonomous city.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media that the plan would give a path to citizenship for holders of British National (Overseas) (BNO) passport holders in Hong Kong. These estimated 300,000 people were given BNO passports by the UK before it handed over rule of Hong Kong to China in 1997, but they are currently limited to six month stays in the UK.

“If China continues down this path and implements this national security legislation, we will remove that six month limit and allow those BNO passport holders to come to the UK and to apply to work and study for extendable periods of 12 months and that will itself provide a pathway to future citizenship,” said UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Friday.