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Dozens of Hong Kong residents fleeing a crackdown on public dissent and peaceable protest beneath a draconian nationwide safety legislation imposed on the town by Beijing since July 1, 2020 have utilized for political asylum in Canada, with 14 purposes already profitable, an Alberta-based voluntary group has mentioned.
The New Hong Kong Cultural Club Canada (NHKCC) mentioned Canada had change into the primary nation on this planet to grant asylum to individuals fleeing arrest for his or her half within the 2019 protest motion.
“Since 2019, the NHKCC has assisted over 40 HK freedom fighters who went into exile,” the group mentioned in an announcement on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.
“Nearly 30 of them in the group have received claimant status which means they are pending approval … with full medical, welfare and work or study permits during the wait,” it mentioned.
“There are 14 of them who have successfully been granted [status] as Canadian political refugees and will be able to apply for permanent residency right away,” the group mentioned.
It mentioned greater than 100 potential candidates have been nonetheless ready to get to Canada, after being hampered by quarantine restrictions through the coronavirus pandemic.
‘The solely means out’
One of the group’s founders, who gave solely a nickname Bruce, mentioned anybody within the pro-democracy, or “yellow,” camp in Hong Kong is susceptible to political persecution beneath the present crackdown.
“They are charging peaceful and non-confrontational lawmakers under the national security law, so the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is only going to step up its oppression of Hong Kong,” Bruce advised RFA.
“When you are in a place where there is no rule of law and you want to leave, [political asylum] is the only way out if you are young and have no money to emigrate with,” he mentioned.
“[Such people] are very vulnerable to political persecution in Hong Kong right now, [but] this problem was created by the communist-backed regime in Hong Kong, not by these young people,” Bruce mentioned. “It is not reasonable to expect young people to put up with all of this.”
Police checks on the airport
Anyone making an attempt to go away nonetheless has to get previous police checks that are actually ubiquitous on the airport, he mentioned.
“They are specifically stopping and checking young people going to certain countries, even just for tourism,” Bruce mentioned. “They would rather keep this group of people in Hong Kong where they can deal with them.”
“[Rather that than] have too many go abroad and keep exposing the behavior of the regime, which is embarassing for the regime,” he mentioned.
The group additionally mentioned Ottawa would even be asserting particulars of a Youth Talent Scheme “as a lifeboat for fleeing young Hongkongers” quickly.
The group’s assertion comes after Canadian immigration minister Marco Mendicino mentioned in November 2020 that Canada would facilitate working visas and chill out immigration standards, providing a possible pathway to everlasting residence to individuals fleeing the crackdown in Hong Kong.
Reported by Man Hoi Yan for RFA’s Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
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