My Take | Hong Kong escapees are not all heroes or refugees
- Internal Canadian government memo cautioning Ottawa not to assume innocence of Hong Kong protesters seeking asylum exposes real immigration constraints over politicians’ rhetoric of welcome
Instead of praising the idealism and bravery of the young protesters of 2019, their elders should have spent more time explaining their unrealistic demands that were not likely to bear fruits.
They should have warned them about the dangerous, often violent, manner in which they made them that would result in harsh legal consequences.
Instead of realistically facing up to potential but bearable jail terms, many were encouraged to escape and become fugitives for the rest of their lives, most likely in soul-destroying, self-imposed exile. They were told they would be welcomed as heroes. Now many realise things aren’t so rosy.
An internal Canadian government memo obtained by the press should give them a more realistic picture of how they are actually perceived by immigration officials in Western countries, rather than the fine rhetoric of their politicians.
“It cannot be assumed that charges are politicised or trumped up by authorities; there have been shocking images of violent attacks during confrontations,” the memo warned last year.
Issued in June 2020, the confidential report was filed by the Hong Kong office of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to the federal government in Ottawa. Headlined “Inadmissibility Risks”, it added that “those fearing prosecution for their involvement in protests may seek refuge in easily accessible foreign countries”.