Nearly 300 gather at Hong Kong Pathway lifeboat backlog seminar in Toronto

Last Saturday, The HongKonger Community Centre Toronto buzzed with energy as nearly 300 members of the Hong Kong diaspora attended the Hong Kong Pathway lifeboat backlog seminar. The event, hosted by Hong Kong Watch, highlighted critical delays in permanent residency applications under the Hong Kong Pathway—a pressing issue for Hongkongers seeking refuge in Canada.

Building on last year’s efforts, where Hong Kong Watch pressed Liberal MP Jean Yip to tackle the issue, this year’s seminar welcomed Conservative Party representatives, including Lionel Loganathan, the candidate for Markham—Thornhill, and Joe Tay, the newly nominated candidate for Don Valley North.

Aileen Calverley, co-founder and Chair of Trustee of Hong Kong Watch, moderated the discussion. She opened by addressing a recent announcement from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), that the approval timeline for permanent residency applications has been delayed to 2027. Calling the delay “utterly unacceptable”, Aileen underscored its worrying consequences on work permits, access to healthcare and education for children. Her comment resonated with the audience and was met with resounding rounds of applause.

Lionel voiced his strong support for the Hong Kong community and criticised the immigration department’s handling of the backlog. He emphasized his support towards the Hong Kong Pathway Lifeboat scheme and highlighted Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s promise: a victory in the upcoming election would fast-track these applications, offering a lifeline to Hong Kong immigrants. He vowed to relay the community’s concerns directly to his party leadership.

Joe Tay spoke candidly about the challenges ahead, noting that recent electoral district changes meant he had to make preparations from scratch. He urged Hongkongers to engage in community work and volunteering, and emphasized the power of collective action.

Aileen praised Tay’s dedication over the past 18 months, which culminated in his candidacy—a sentiment echoed by enthusiastic applause. With at least 400,000 Hongkongers in Canada, but only one MP of Hong Kong descent in Parliament, she stressed the need for greater representation to champion democracy and freedom. She also issued a broader call to action, urging Hong Kong immigrants—especially young newcomers—to integrate, engage in Canadian politics, and amplify their voices.

The seminar was also attended by the assistant of Tom Kmiec MP. She shared her experience working as a parliamentary assistant following Hong Kong Watch’s Youth Initiative Program, and encouraged young people to pursue political paths.

Following the seminar, Hong Kong Watch has compiled and submitted delayed cases—ranging from 2023 permanent residency applications to expiring work permits and visa rejections—to the Minister of Immigration. Volunteers at the community center also helped with reviewing open work permit (OWP) applications, and offered assistance with navigating the application process.

The federal election is set to take place on April 28, 2025. Hong Kong Watch looks forward to meeting with newly elected MPs and the Prime Minister’s office to demand a swift resolution to the Hong Kong Pathway backlog.

近三百人出席加拿大救生艇滯後研討會

上週六，多倫多香港人社區中心舉行了加拿大救生艇滯後研討會，吸引了近300名港人出席。活動探討了「Hong Kong Pathway」永久居留申請的嚴重延誤，這對加拿大香港人來說是一個迫切問題。

去年，加拿大香港監察邀請了自由黨國會議員葉嘉麗（Jean Yip MP）出席，回應永久居民申請審批滯後問題。今次，香港監察邀請了保守黨的代表參與，嘉賓包括Markham—Thornhill選區的候選人Lionel Loganathan，和Don Valley North的候選人Joe Tay（鄭敬基）。

香港監察共同創辦人及信託董事會主席Aileen Calverley擔任研討會的主持人。Aileen在開場時提到，加拿大移民部（IRCC）早前宣布救生艇「Hong Kong Pathway」的永居申請審批時間將延長至2027年。她認為這是完全不能接受的，台下觀眾也熱烈拍掌表示贊同。Aileen指出，對於逃離暴政的香港人來說，儘快處理這些積壓案件至關重要，因為永久居留申請的延誤將威脅到他們的工作許可、使用醫療服務，以及子女接受教育的機會。

Lionel Loganathan表示自己支持香港救生艇計劃，希望能儘快解決滯後問題。他強調保守黨黨魁博勵治（Pierre Poilievre）已做出重要承諾，表示如果保守黨在大選中獲勝，新政府將加快處理「香港救生艇」的永久居留申請，改變現時困境。他承諾將滯後問題反映給保守黨。

鄭敬基（Joe Tay）則提到自己剛剛獲得提名成為聯邦大選候選人，但由於選區調整，所有部署需重新開始。他希望香港人能積極參與社區工作和義工服務。

Aileen對鄭敬基在過去一年半的努力，最終成為候選人表示高度讚賞，台下聽眾亦以熱烈掌聲表示支持。在加拿大，香港人社區至少有400,000名港人，但能夠成為候選人的香港人卻極為稀少，現時國會中只有一名香港裔議員。Aileen勉勵香港人，特別是新移居加拿大的年輕人，積極投入社會，立志從政，為香港人社區服務，並為香港的民主自由發聲。

加拿大影子移民部長Tom Kmiec MP的議員助理亦有到場收集意見。她透過參與加拿大香港監察青年倡議計劃而成為議員助理，並分享了自己的經歷，鼓勵更多年輕人進入國會工作。

在研討會後，加拿大香港監察收集了不同個案提交給移民部長，包括2023年永居申請的滯後案例、工作簽證即將到期的個案及工作簽證被拒的案例。社區中心的義工也協助開放式工作簽證（OWP）申請人解決因填表失誤而被拒的問題，就申請流程提供協助。

聯邦大選將於4月28日舉行，加拿大香港監察期待在大選過後採取相應行動，會見新上任的國會議員及總理辦公室，以解決香港救生艇申請嚴重滯後的問題。