Dozens of People Fleeing Hong Kong Apply For Political Asylum in Canada: Group

Dozens of Hong Kong residents fleeing a crackdown on public dissent and peaceful protest under a draconian national security law imposed on the city by Beijing since July 1, 2020 have applied for political asylum in Canada, with 14 applications already successful, an Alberta-based voluntary group has said.

The New Hong Kong Cultural Club Canada (NHKCC) said Canada had become the first country in the world to grant asylum to people fleeing arrest for their part in the 2019 protest movement.

"Since 2019, the NHKCC has assisted over 40 HK freedom fighters who went into exile," the group said in a statement on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.  "Nearly 30 of them in the group have received claimant status which means they are pending approval ... with full medical, welfare and work or study permits during the wait," it said. "There are 14 of them who have successfully been granted [status] as Canadian political refugees and will be able to apply for permanent residency right away," the group said.

It said more than 100 potential applicants were still waiting to get to Canada, after being hampered by quarantine restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.

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