OTTAWA, ON (July 30, 2020) – Alliance Canada Hong Kong (ACHK) calls on the Government of Canada to take immediate action in accepting Hong Kong asylum seekers as Hong Kong is autonomous no more.
From today’s disqualification of opposition candidates from running in elections, to yesterday’s political arrests of four 16-21 year-olds for their social media posts, we must now grapple with the reality that the last lingering pieces of Hong Kong as we know it and any semblance of democracy are gone. The Chinese Communist Party has violated their international commitment to uphold “One Country, Two Systems” as outlined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Hong Kongers now face imminent danger for speaking their mind – as the arrests of the four children demonstrates. Canada must take immediate action to reopen travel pathways for asylum seekers. In addition, we must amend immigration and refugee pathways to allow Hong Kongers to safely seek asylum in Canada.
ACHK previously submitted immigration and resettlement policy options to the Government of Canada. These have been received by the PMO, DPMO, Global Affairs, and Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.
The United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, and Japan have already announced their asylum and immigration plans. Canada is falling behind, and we need to act quickly to get ahead of this budding humanitarian crisis.
Hong Kong has entered a time of unprecedented political suppression and state violence, Canada needs to take action now.
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ACHK supports and welcomes Taiwanese, Tibetan, Uyghur, Chinese, and other communities who are suffering from persecution by the Chinese Communist Party. ACHK stands in solidarity with Indigenous and marginalized communities both within Canada and abroad. alliancecanadahk.com | [email protected]