Tens of thousands of Hong Kongers have migrated to Taiwan in recent years amid China’s crackdown on the former British colony, but many have faced challenges in obtaining citizenship, and with their diverse political leanings, these prospective Taiwanese citizens express mixed feelings about the recent election results.
For Hong Kongers looking to secure Republic of China (Taiwan) citizenship, several channels are available for them to first obtain residency. These include but are not limited to investment immigration, family reunification and overseas Chinese student immigration.
There is also an asylum-like special immigration scheme for activists who fled from Hong Kong to Taiwan after the 2019 to 2020 Hong Kong pro-democracy protests and could face imprisonment if they return. However, this process is complicated, as even though an asylum law was drafted in 2005, it has never been implemented.
Photo: Bloomberg
After a designated period of legal residence, which varies from one to five years depending on the scheme, and meeting specific requirements such as certain salary levels, Hong Kongers might be eligible to apply for permanent residency. This permanent residency status could later be converted to citizenship — an ID card with voting rights.
Following China’s imposition of the Hong Kong national security law on June 30, 2020, many Hong Kongers chose to move to Taiwan.
However, many have encountered lengthy processing periods and the Taiwanese government has made the requirements for permanent residency applications even more stringent.
From January 2020 to November last year, more than 37,100 people from Hong Kong acquired temporary residency in Taiwan, the National Immigration Agency said, but only 5,700 were granted permanent residency during the same period.
In contrast, from January 2016 to December 2019, about 18,000 Hong Kong residents obtained temporary residency in Taiwan, with more than 4,700 receiving permanent residency. The decline has led many Hong Kongers to question if staying in Taiwan is too much of a gamble.
“After my graduation, I hope to stay in Taiwan and contribute to the next generation here,” Edward Fung, a 42-year-old PhD student at National Chengchi University said, adding that his doctorate could be a stepping stone for him to acquire Taiwanese citizenship.
Identifying as a supporter of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Fung is enthusiastic about the election result. “I joined the campaign rally and was at the DPP’s campaign headquarters when the results came in,” he said.
Steadfast in his belief that the DPP is the party “least likely to turn Taiwan into a ‘one country, two-systems’ society” and optimistic about Taiwan’s relations with its democratic allies, Fung does not expect it to become more difficult for Hong Kongers to migrate to Taiwan after president-elect William Lai (賴清德) assumes office on May 20.
“If his policy remains unchanged, I don’t see the situation becoming worse,” Fung said, who came to Taiwan in September 2021.
On the other side of the political spectrum, Ken (not his real name), a vocal supporter of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), holds a contrasting perspective, expressing his view that the DPP is a pro-independence party which only sees Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu within the country’s territory, considering people from Hong Kong and Macau as outsiders.
Lai’s policies toward Hong Kongers will not be better than before, or could be even worse, the 28-year-old said.
Ken said that one of the main reasons he supports the KMT is his discontent with the DPP.
“In 2020, Tsai voiced support for Hong Kongers and attracted many young people to Taiwan, but later increased the requirements for Hong Kongers to migrate to Taiwan... the DPP talks the talk but does not walk the walk, “ Ken said, who arrived in Taiwan 18 months ago.
On the evening the election results were announced, Ken recalled feeling pessimistic and less inclined to stay in Taiwan than before. “If the KMT had won, there might be improvements [for Hong Kongers in Taiwan], but now the DPP will stay in power, there will definitely be no improvement,” he said.
Sky Fung (馮詔天), secretary-general of the Taiwan-based exile group Hong Kong Outlanders (香港邊城青年), praised the positive attitude of President Tsai’s Ying Wen’s administration on issues concerning Hong Kongers in Taiwan. “But they could have taken a more active role... and we are not sure what the policies will be under Lai’s administration.”
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
RSS