Taiwan sees rise in immigration from HK amid national security crackdown

Taiwan is expecting a new wave of arrivals from Hong Kong, where the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is presiding over a city-wide crackdown on civil society, public dissent and political opposition under a draconian national security law.

The latest statistics from the Taiwan Immigration Department indicate that number of Hong Kong residents emigrating to Taiwan hit a new high in 2021, the island’s Mainland Affairs Commission (MAC) spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng told reporters on Friday.

The island’s interior ministry handed out 9,772 residence cards to Hong Kong residents between January and November 2021, compared with 9,501 in the same period in 2020.

Permanent residency was awarded to 1,572 Hongkongers, compared with 1,397 in the same period the previous year.

“We have made some draft amendments to the rules … in line with talent recruitment regulations to extend the period of residency [for students] past the completion of their masters and doctorate degrees,” Chiu said. “The draft changes have been … sent to the Executive Yuan for review.”

“I expect their implementation to be announced soon,” Chiu said.

Immigration consultant Chang Hsiang-ling said more Hongkongers might have applied if it weren’t for the island’s stringent COVID-19 restrictions on entry and exits, but that the new rules might pave the way for more arrivals in future.

“It is easier to come from Hong Kong that it was before the handover,” Chang told agencies.

“But people who have only just obtained their Hong Kong permanent residency might not be approved for residence at the current time.”

“They will look at applications from people born in mainland China to see how long that person has lived in Hong Kong, and whether their entire life’s focus is in Hong Kong,” he said.

He said former Hong Kong public servants who had already taken a mandatory oath of allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be rejected by Taiwan, unless they were employees of the Hospital Authority, serving in public healthcare facilities.

Agencies