Hong Kong Watch and V4HK Canada publish priorities of Hong Kongers for upcoming federal election

Today, Hong Kong Watch and V4HK Canada published a briefing on the priorities of Hong Kongers in Canada for the upcoming federal election. This follows four months of research and analysis into policy priorities from the Hong Kong community in Canada. 

The initiative began with a survey targeting Hong Kongers in Canada. The survey, which was available in both English and Traditional Chinese, was the first step towards understanding the policy priorities of the Hong Kong community in Canada. Following the survey, roundtable discussions or ‘focus group sessions’ were conducted in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto to gather deeper insights through direct interaction with participants. 

The full briefing can be read here. 

The top three issues identified by survey respondents include:

  1. Waiting time for visa or permanent residency approval (72%)

  2. Cost of living (40.6%)

  3. Employment opportunities for oneself or family members (27%)

The top three policy priorities identified by survey respondents include:

  1. Expediting the processing of permanent residency applications (84.3%)

  2. Combating community crimes (74.2%)

  3. Combating the overseas surveillance, harassment, or intimidation of dissidents by the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong governments (65.6%)

The briefing also includes analysis into how the Hong Konger population is dispersed throughout the provinces and territories of Canada and identifies federal electoral districts with significant Hong Konger populations that could determine the outcome of the federal election.

We would like to thank the Hong Kong Watch volunteers across Canada whose efforts made this project possible. 

This initiative is inspired by Vote4HK UK, with whom Hong Kong Watch has collaborated to encourage British National (Overseas) Hong Kongers to meet with their local candidates and learn about the different political parties leading up to the 2024 UK general election. At the encouragement of Vote4HK UK, Hong Kong Watch undertook a similar initiative in Canada to engage the Hong Kong diaspora in understanding and participating in the Canadian political landscape.

香港監察聯同Vote4HK Canada發表加拿大港人聯邦大選關注焦點簡報

香港監察今天聯同「Vote4HK Canada」發表簡報，主題為加拿大港人的聯邦大選關注焦點。之前我們就加拿大港人社群重點關注的政策，展開了四個月研究和分析。

這項倡議先由對象為在加港人的問卷調查開始。有關調查是了解加拿大港人社群重點關注政策的第一步，設有英文和繁體中文版本。之後我們在溫哥華、卡加利和多倫多召開焦點小組會議，透過與參加者直接互動，更深入了解在加港人的看法。

請在此處閱覽簡報全文。

調查受訪者指出的三大問題包括：

  1. 等待審批簽證或永久居留的時間 (72%)

  2. 生活成本 (40.6%)

  3. 自己或家人的就業機會 (27%)

調查受訪者指出的三大重點關注政策包括：

  1. 加快處理永久居留申請 (84.3%)

  2. 打擊社區罪案 (74.2%)

  3. 打擊中國及香港政府海外監視、騷擾或恐嚇異見人士的行為 (65.6%)

另外，簡報載有香港人群體在加拿大各省與地區分布情況的分析，並找出有大量香港人群體的聯邦選區，相關選區可能會左右聯邦大選的結果。

香港監察感謝加拿大各地的義工，是他們的努力讓這項計劃得以推行。

這項倡議受到「Vote4HK UK」啟發。香港監察在2024年英國大選前與他們合作，鼓勵BNO港人與所屬選區候選人會面，了解不同政黨。在「Vote4HK UK」的鼓勵下，香港監察在加拿大推行類似倡議，讓離散港人社群理解並參與加拿大政治格局。

NewsMegan KhooCanada, Diaspora