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.
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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.”
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