Australia gives Hong Kong citizens lifeline with new visa plan
The federal government will extend visas for some Hong Kong citizens including students who are already living in Australia and suspend its extradition agreement despite warnings of an economic backlash from China.
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Australia will suspend its extradition agreement with Hong Kong in light of China’s new draconian national security laws and extend visa help to students and graduates.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Thursday that he had formally notified Hong Kong and Chinese authorities of the development.
“Today we have agreed to announce that the national security law constitutes a fundamental change of circumstances in respect to our extradition agreement with Hong Kong,” Mr Morrison said.
Visas for skilled, graduate and student Hong Kong citizens will be extended by five years.
“For skilled and graduate visa holders, we will be extending visas by five years from today, with a pathway to permanent residency at the end of those five years”.
Current students will be able to stay in Australia for five years after graduation.
“If you’re a temporary visa holder, your visa will be extended to an additional five years from today, in addition to the time you’ve already been in Australia with a pathway to permanent residency at the end of that period,” he said.
“And we will also provide a 5-year visa with a pathway to permanent residency for future Hong Kong applicants for temporary skilled visas, subject to meeting an updated skills list and appropriate marking testing.”
Along with extended visas and pathways to permanent residency, skilled Hong Kong citizens will have incentives to relocate to regional areas in Australia to alleviate the skills shortage.
Export-based businesses in Hong Kong will also be granted incentives to relocate their businesses to Australia, especially if they have the opportunity to grow and employ Australians.
“We know that there are over 1,000 international businesses who have their regional headquarters presently in Hong Kong, and we also know that many have already signalled that they’re looking to relocate elsewhere in the world,” Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said.
Hong Kong citizens will be given priority in some of Australia’s immigration programs, including the Global Talent Scheme visa and business investment programs.
The Prime Minister said the decision to suspend the extradition agreement is because the new security law undermines the one country, two systems agreement between Hong Kong and China.
“Our decision to suspend the extradition agreement with Hong Kong represents an acknowledgment of the fundamental change of circumstances in relation to Hong Kong because of the new security law which, in our view … a shared view of many countries, that it undermines the one country, two systems framework, and Hong Kong’s own basic law and the high degree of autonomy guaranteed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration that was set out there,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Morrison said the new visa measures apply mostly to Hong Kong citizens already in Australia, and the government is not expecting a large influx of arrivals.
The Prime Minister shot down suggestions the suspension of the extradition agreement and the new travel advice will lead to backlash from China.
“Those are matters entirely for the Chinese Communist Party Government, they’re not matters for Australia,” Mr Morrison said.
“We will make decisions about what’s in our interests, and we will make decisions about our laws and our advisories, and we will do that rationally and soberly and consistently,” he said.
The Smart Traveller website was updated earlier this week to warn Australians from travelling to China because of a risk of arbitrary detention.
TRAVEL WARNING FOR AUSSIES IN HONG KONG
Australians living in Hong Kong have been told to reconsider their need to stay if they are concerned about sweeping security laws imposed by Beijing.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade today updated its advice for Hong Kong, where about 100,000 Australian expats live.
“The new national security legislation for Hong Kong could be interpreted broadly. Under the law, you could be deported or face possible transfer to mainland China for prosecution under mainland law,” it says.
“The full extent of the law and how it will be applied is not yet clear. You may be at increased risk of detention on vaguely defined national security grounds. You could break the law without intending to.”
“If you’re concerned about the new law, reconsider your need to remain in Hong Kong.”
CHINA WARNS OF BACKLASH IF AUSTRALIA OFFERS SAVE HAVEN
China has stepped up its rhetoric warning Australia that it faces a “huge negative impact” on its economy if it allows Hong Kong citizens to settle here.
The Chinese communist government is furious the Australian government had been considering tearing up the extradition treaty with Hong Kong and allowing fleeing residents to enter through skilled migration visas or a humanitarian program.
An article in the pro-Beijing Global Times newspaper said the Hong Kong issue “is one of China’s bottom lines, which should not be touched”.
Mr Morrison has said earlier that a tough new law that came into effect on June 30 in Hong Kong is “very concerning”. The law follows months of protests and has sweeping powers to arrest people for secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers.
Britain has already said it will offer up to three million Hong Kong residents the chance to move there.
But the Global Times article warned: “If the Australian Government chooses to continue to interfere in China’s internal affairs, it should be expected that the ‘safe haven’ offer will result in a huge negative impact on the Australian economy.
“Anyone with knowledge of China-Australia trade could see that political provocations over the Hong Kong issue will only end up being a bitter pill for the country’s economy to swallow,” it warned.
China has already slapped tariffs on Australian barley and beef after the Australian government led calls for an inquiry into exactly how the coronavirus pandemic began.
Beijing’s latest threat comes after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade upgraded “do not travel advice” to warn Australians they could face “arbitrary detention” in China.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian on Wednesday said the travel warning was “ridiculous” and “disinformation”.
Originally published as Australia gives Hong Kong citizens lifeline with new visa plan