Plans are under way to offer Hong Kongers who have been granted political asylum in Taiwan the right to apply for permanent residency after five years, an official said on Tuesday.
More than 100 Hong Kongers have been granted refuge in Taiwan under the Hong Kong Humanitarian Aid Project since it began in 2020, government data showed.
Now the government is planning to allow such people to apply for permanent residency after five years, starting from the approval date of their asylum application, the official said.
Photo: Reuters
The policy is “fair and sensible,” as the applicants would have already proven their participation in protests against the Hong Kong government, they said.
Additional interviews and background checks would be conducted before granting permanent residency to ensure zero risk to national security, the official said.
People granted entry under the program participated in protests against a since-scrapped extradition bill or for democracy in the territory, with some even fighting Hong Kong police, the official said.
They would not harm national security, but on the contrary would fight to defend Taiwan’s democratic way of life, the official said.
In addition, Hong Kongers who arrived in Taiwan on a work visa and can prove their participation in the territory’s democracy protest movement can contact the Taiwan-Hong Kong Exchange Services Office to apply for permanent residency under the program, the official said.
This plan along with another proposal to offer professionals from Hong Kong long-term residency fulfills the government’s goals of providing humanitarian assistance, attracting professionals and protecting national security, they said.
Apart from help with visas, the office also provides political asylum seekers individual assistance applying for work or school, and a NT$20,000 monthly stipend before they find a job.
It also offers psychological counseling services to help them process the political violence they have witnessed and legal referrals, if needed.
Hong Kongers not covered by the program are also welcome to contact the office for assistance, free of charge.
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Red Line could begin operations as early as late June, the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems said yesterday. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said it is considering offering one month of free rides on the new section to mark its opening. Construction progress on the 1.4km extension, which is to run from the current terminal Xiangshan Station to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, was 90.6 percent complete by the end of last month, the department said in a report to the Taipei City Council's Transportation Committee. While construction began in October 2016 with an
NON-RED SUPPLY: Boosting the nation’s drone industry is becoming increasingly urgent as China’s UAV dominance could become an issue in a crisis, an analyst said Taiwan’s drone exports to Europe grew 41.7-fold from 2024 to last year, with demand from Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression the most likely driver of growth, a study showed. The Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) in a statement on Wednesday said it found that many of Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) sales were from Poland and the Czech Republic. These countries likely transferred the drones to Ukraine to aid it in its fight against the Russian invasion that started in 2022, it said. Despite the gains, Taiwan is not the dominant drone exporter to these markets, ranking second and fourth
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment last year on Tokyo’s potential reaction to a Taiwan-China conflict has forced Beijing to rewrite its invasion plans, a retired Japanese general said. Takaichi told the Diet on Nov. 7 last year that a Chinese naval blockade or military attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially allowing Tokyo to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Former Japan Ground Self-Defense Force general Kiyofumi Ogawa said in a recent speech that the remark has been interpreted as meaning Japan could intervene in the early stages of a Taiwan Strait conflict, undermining China’s previous assumptions
RSS