HKW briefing urges EU member states to introduce lifeboat schemes for 1.86 million Hong Kongers with no lifeline out of the city

Today, Hong Kong Watch published a briefing urging EU member states to introduce lifeboat schemes to provide a lifeline to the estimated 1.86 million Hong Kongers who continue to have no lifeline out of the city, where the rule of law is severely compromised under both the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Bill and the 2020 National Security Law.

You can read the full briefing, Navigating Lifelines in Post-Article 23 Hong Kong: The Need for Lifeboat Schemes in the EU, here.

This briefing follows Hong Kong Watch’s July 2022 publication, The Left Behind: Almost 2M Hong Kongers Still Do Not Have a Route Out of the City, which found that almost 2 million Hong Kongers had no lifeline out of Hong Kong after Beijing imposed the National Security Law on the city in 2020. 

The updated briefing, which follows the passage of the Safeguarding National Security Bill in Hong Kong, finds that 1.86 million Hong Kongers continue to have no route out of Hong Kong. The briefing includes the latest data:

• The total population of Hong Kong remains around 7.5 million.

• The total number of Hong Kongers theoretically eligible for the UK’s British National Overseas (BNO) visa scheme is 5.4 million out of 7.5 million Hong Kongers. 

• An estimated maximum of 36,554 Hong Kongers are eligible for the US’s Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) policy, which provides temporary safe haven.

• Through Canada’s immigration system, as well as Stream A, Stream B and the Open Work Permit available for Hong Kongers, up to an estimated 367,540 Hong Kongers are eligible for a pathway to Canadian citizenship or permanent residence.

• Australia’s lifeboat scheme for Hong Kongers is estimated to offer up to an estimated 8,800 Hong Kongers a pathway to permanent residency.

To provide pathways to citizenship, permanent residency, or temporary safe haven to the 1.86 million Hong Kongers who still do not have a lifeline out of Hong Kong, the briefing recommends that EU member states should introduce lifeboat schemes specific to Hong Kongers to recognise the high risk of persecution if they stay in Hong Kong; understand the gaps that exist in the existing lifeboat schemes; and the large economic and cultural contribution which Hong Kongers would make in the EU. The briefing includes measures which EU member states could adopt to implement lifeboat schemes related to Hong Kongers who wish to study or work in the EU. 

The briefing also calls on EU member states to suspend remaining active extradition treaties with Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to ensure that no Hong Konger who has relocated or decides to relocate overseas, or anyone else, has to face extradition to Hong Kong or China. Portugal and Czechia continue to have active extradition treaties with Hong Kong. Romania, Belgium, Lithuania, Portugal, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain and Cyprus maintain active extradition treaties with the PRC.

Megan Khoo, Research and Policy Advisor at Hong Kong Watch and author of the briefing, said:

“Following the enactment of Article 23 in Hong Kong, EU member states should swiftly introduce lifeboat schemes specific to Hong Kongers to provide the 1.86 million Hong Kongers with no route out of Hong Kong the opportunity to live, work and express their internationally-guaranteed rights in the EU. 

There is already a small but vibrant community of Hong Kongers in the EU. The creation of lifeboat schemes for Hong Kongers would send the much-needed signal that the EU stands with Hong Kongers in the EU and Hong Kong in one of its darkest hours. EU member states should also suspend remaining extradition treaties with Hong Kong and the PRC to provide absolute reassurance to activists, dissidents and advocates that nobody faces risk of repatriation to Hong Kong or Mainland China.”

186萬港人仍無安全離港途徑 香港監察簡報促歐盟成員國推出救生艇

香港監察今天發表簡報，促請歐盟成員國推出救生艇計劃，為估計186萬仍然沒有離港途徑的香港人提供救生索。在2024年《維護國家安全條例》（俗稱23條）和2020年《國家安全法》下，香港法治嚴重受損。

請在此處閱讀簡報全文《Navigating Lifelines in Post-Article 23 Hong Kong: The Need for Lifeboat Schemes in the EU》。

為向186萬仍然沒有離港途徑的香港人提供獲得公民身分、永久居留權或臨時避難所的途徑，簡報建議，歐盟成員國應推出專為香港人而設的救生艇計劃，以示留港港人面臨受迫害風險之高；了解現行救生艇計劃中存在的漏洞；及了解香港人將為歐盟帶來的巨大經濟和文化貢獻。簡報載有歐盟成員國能夠採取的措施，以期為希望在歐盟讀書或工作的香港人推出相關救生艇計劃。

簡報同時呼籲歐盟成員國中止與香港和中國仍然有效的引渡條約，確保已移居或決定移居海外的香港人或任何其他人均不會被引渡到香港或中國。葡萄牙和捷克仍與香港簽有有效的引渡條約；羅馬尼亞、比利時、立陶宛、葡萄牙、保加利亞、法國、意大利、西班牙和塞浦路斯仍與中國簽有有效的引渡條約。

香港監察研究及政策顧問、簡報作者Megan Khoo表示：

「23條在香港生效後，歐盟成員國應迅速推出專為香港人而設的救生艇計劃，向186萬無法離開香港的香港人提供在歐盟生活、工作及表達受國際保障權利的機會。

歐盟目前已有小型但充滿活力的香港人社區。為香港人設立救生艇計劃能夠傳遞急需的信息：在黑暗時刻，歐盟與身在歐盟和香港的香港人站在同一陣線。歐盟成員國亦應中止其餘與香港和中國的引渡條約，向社運人士、異見人士和倡議人士保證，任何人均絕對不會面臨被遣返香港或中國大陸的風險。」