Taiwan readies for Hong Hong residents' influx as 'freedom haven' after China's crackdown

With the passing of the new national security law in Hong Kong, many residents are fearful of prosecution in the city since the new law gives a lot of overarching power to authorities. According to reports, because of this, many residents have been considering relocation to Taiwan in order to protect themselves from Chinese prosecution and to also enjoy the same freedoms they enjoyed in Hong Kong before the new law.

Taiwan and Hong Kong share cultural similarities

As per reports, many residents see Taiwan as a viable option for relocation due to its close proximity and the cultural similarities shared by Hong Kong and Taiwan. In anticipation of an influx of residency requests, the Taiwanese government has even made arrangements such as opening an office from July 1 onwards that will efficiently evaluate and judge applications on a case-by-case basis.

According to reports, the Mainland Affairs Council in Taiwan that evaluates and sets all of Taiwan’s policies towards mainland China has revealed that only a few days after opening the new office, it has received hundreds of calls and emails from people enquiring on how to relocate to Taiwan.

A council member was quoted saying "We think the number of inquiries could increase as the Chinese government continues to impose the national security law. The Taiwan-Hong Kong Services and Exchange Office will closely monitor the development in Hong Kong,".

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According to statistics by Taiwan's immigration agency, 2019 saw 6,000 Hong Kong residents move to Taiwan, this was a steep rise from the number of relocations in previous years. One of the most prominent Hong Kong residents to relocate to Taiwan has been renowned bookseller Lam Wing-Kee. He moved to Taiwan in 2019 after stumbling into legal trouble and reopened his bookstore and still continues to be critical of Beijing and the drastic change taking place in Hong Kong.

(Input credit ANI) (Image Credit AP) (Representative Image)

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