TAIPEI, Taiwan (Reuters) – Against the backdrop of increased controls in China due to the implementation of national security laws by the Hong Kong government, nearly 11,000 Hong Kong residents were granted residence permits in Taiwan in 2020, a nearly one-fold surge from 2019 and a record high, according to an announcement by Taiwanese authorities.
According to Taiwan’s Immigration Department, a total of 10,813 Hong Kong residents were granted short-term residence permits in Taiwan during the year 2020, almost twice as many as in the previous year (5,858). A record high.
In addition, a total of 1,576 Hong Kong residents were granted Taiwan settlement permits, an increase of 102 from 2019.
Reuters said Taiwan has long attracted Hong Kongers eager to find a stable lifestyle and who believe autonomy has been undermined by the Chinese Communist Party.
The previous record for Hong Kong people moving to Taiwan: 7.506 in 2014. The Umbrella Movement, a massive mobilization to challenge Chinese rule, took place in the former British colony of Hong Kong that year.
The number of Hong Kong people arriving in Taiwan could have been even higher if they had not been subjected to border restrictions imposed by the outbreak of the new coronavirus to stop the momentum, the report said, citing Taiwan’s Free Times.
Reuters noted that Taiwan does not accept refugees to avoid the massive influx of people from mainland China. However, Hong Kong people can apply to live in Taiwan through other mechanisms, particularly through investment visas.
In 2019, Hong Kong saw scenes of massive popular mobilization for months, with protesters demanding democratic reforms and condemning Beijing for interfering with the high degree of autonomy Hong Kong is supposed to enjoy.
By 2020, the Chinese government passed a Hong Kong version of the National Security Law to stop the wave of pro-democracy movements in Hong Kong from expanding further, leading to the exile of many Hong Kong people overseas.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has expressed support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy struggle and set up a special office last year to deal with Hong Kongers seeking to move to Taiwan.
The authorities are also reportedly studying the relaxation of relevant regulations to facilitate outstanding young people who graduated from Hong Kong universities and those with professional skills, among others, to more easily obtain the qualifications needed to work in Taiwan.
On the other hand, the Taiwanese authorities are also raising their guard to prevent the migration applicants from Hong Kong from mixing with people related to the Chinese Communist Party and the government and military.
Reuters also said that 12 Hong Kong militants were arrested by the Chinese Coast Guard last summer after they tried to flee to Taiwan by boat.
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