The issue of Hong Kong refugees
Whenever there has been political and social unrest in Hong Kong, such as the situations prompted by the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, the 2019 Hong Kong Extradition Bill, and the 2020 Hong Kong National Security Law, Hong Kong residents have sought ways to immigrate to or seek refuge/political asylum in other countries, especially Canada. Unrest in Hong Kong this year and last year has made “Hong Kong refugees” an issue of public concern in Canada. Canada accepts a large volume of refugees every year. However, the issue of “Hong Kong refugees” is a completely new topic for the Chinese-Canadian community because these “Hong Kong refugees” are very different from the usual Hong Kong immigrants of past years. On July 3, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa is reviewing more measures to help Hong Kong residents, including immigration policies. Reporters asked Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada whether the department has any plans to provide Hong Kong refugee seekers and immigration applicants with additional assistance. IRCC did not answer the question but confirmed that a total of 46 Hong Kong residents filed asylum claims in Canada.
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