Vast majority of Hong Kong residents currently in the United States are expected to be eligible
President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander civil rights leaders, in the State Dining Room of the White House, on Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington.President Joe Biden on Thursday offered temporary “safe haven” to Hong Kong residents in the United States, allowing what could be thousands of people to extend their stay in the country in response to Beijing’s crackdown on democracy in the Chinese territory.
The vast majority of Hong Kong residents currently in the United States are expected to be eligible, according to a senior administration official, but some legal conditions apply, such as individuals not having been convicted of felonies. The measure is the latest in a series of actions Biden has taken to address what his administration says is the erosion of rule of law in the former British colony, which returned to Beijing’s control in 1997.
China’s embassy in Washington did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the safe haven measure.U.S. lawmakers have sought legislation that would make it easier for people from Hong Kong to obtain U.S. refugee status if they feared persecution after joining protests against China. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the United States should accept people fleeing the Hong Kong crackdown.
Other countries, including Canada and Australia, have taken steps to facilitate Hong Kong immigration or permanent residency following Beijing’s crackdown.
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