The Home Office’s approach to asylum claims from Hong Kong dissidents has been criticized by a prominent figure in the disbanded democratic opposition. The rejection of asylum claims has been deemed “absurd,” with errors such as demanding contact addresses for individuals in hiding and citing incorrect personal details. Dissidents who have faced trials in Hong Kong over their involvement in protests have also seen their claims dismissed, raising concerns about the Home Office’s predisposition to discredit such cases.
Isaac Cheng, former vice-president of Demosisto, highlighted that immigration caseworkers seemed inclined to undermine claims, even from those who had faced trials in Hong Kong. This criticism comes amid the UK government’s determination to reduce migration into Britain, citing a record of 745,000 in the year to December 2022, with factors such as the war in Ukraine and China’s crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong contributing to the increase.
The British national overseas visa scheme, introduced to honor the UK’s commitment to Hongkongers, received approximately 191,000 applications between January 2021 and September 2023, with a high approval rate of 96.7%. However, recent rejections of asylum claims, accompanied by what are deemed “absurd reasons,” have raised concerns about the government’s commitment to its moral obligation to help Hong Kong dissidents.
Cases of rejection include that of a 23-year-old man who participated in the 2019 siege of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, an acquitted trainee teacher charged over her involvement in the 2019 Hong Kong democratic movement, and a protester arrested at the siege of PolyU. The rejection notices cited issues such as the lack of a date on a letter of reference and the recovery of a passport as grounds for dismissal.
Isaac Cheng, now in the UK and involved in the Initiative Safe project to assist Hongkongers, argued that the rejection of asylum claims based on “absurd reasons” indicated a potential undermining of the government’s moral obligation amid its political crisis over migration.
The UK government defended its stance, stating that it faces unprecedented levels of immigration and emphasizing its commitment to reducing migration levels and curbing system abuse.
