[Epoch Times, July 1, 2021](Epoch Times reporters Zhang Xiaohui and Liang Zhen Hong Kong report) On the evening of June 30, a large number of Hong Kong people flew to the UK by plane. Passengers leaving Hong Kong for the UK had long queues at the airport, and many of them dragged their families and helped the old and the young. A mother who had immigrated with her family said that she had bought a flight ticket on July 2 and was worried about the restrictions on leaving the country after “7.1”, and would rather add money to change the flight ticket and leave on June 30.
Mother leaves Hong Kong before “7.1” due to expensive air tickets for her son
In the departure hall of the airport, there was a long queue of passengers heading to the UK. Relatives and friends hugged each other, choked with tears.
After watching his daughter, son-in-law and grandson walk into the departure hall, Mr. Chen took off his mask to wipe his tears. In an interview with this newspaper, he said that his daughter’s family had been preparing to immigrate to the UK a year ago, and finally left today, feeling complicated. Because of the epidemic, he will not visit them in the UK in the near future. He repeatedly said: “Don’t be willing.”
When asked about the reason for the emigration of his daughter’s family, Mr. Chen said: “This is not very clear. Young people have young people’s ideas.” Although he has not stated clearly what young people think, he said that he can accept his daughter’s ideas.
A family of three deliberately rushed to leave Hong Kong before “7.1”. My mother told the newspaper that the air ticket on June 30 is very expensive, usually only 3,000 Hong Kong dollars, but now it costs 8,000. She originally booked a flight ticket for July 2nd, but because she saw that the government had banned British flights from arriving in Hong Kong, she was worried that departure from Hong Kong would be restricted, so she would rather spend a high price to change the ticket to June 30th. She especially emphasized that leaving Hong Kong is for her son. He also expressed his gratitude that British Airways still came to pick up Hong Kong people to leave after the Hong Kong government banned arriving flights.
She said that she felt heartache about leaving Hong Kong. While speaking, she couldn’t hide her excitement, hugged and choked with the reporter, and urged the reporter to “be careful in Hong Kong”.
Hong Kong people worry about policy changes or restrictions on leaving Hong Kong to move to the UK
On the eve of “7.1”, the CCP and the Hong Kong government stepped up to suppress the Hong Kong media and citizens who dared to speak up. After the “Apple Daily” was forced to suspend publication, the former chief writer Lu Feng was arrested at the airport on June 27, which caused social shock.
The Hong Kong government announced on June 28 that it would implement a regional flight “fuse mechanism” for the UK on the grounds of the UK’s rebound of the epidemic and the widespread spread of the Delta variant virus. From July 1st, all civil aviation planes from the United Kingdom are prohibited from landing in Hong Kong. At the same time, the United Kingdom is listed as a very high-risk group A1 designated area, and people who have stayed in the United Kingdom for more than two hours are restricted from boarding any civil aviation planes that come to Hong Kong. Prevent them from transiting to Hong Kong.
Many citizens who intend to go to the UK worry that the failure of British passenger planes to arrive in Hong Kong will affect flights from Hong Kong to the UK. British Airways (British Airways) issued a statement on June 29 stating that although British Airways’ passenger flights from London to Hong Kong have been temporarily suspended, flights from Hong Kong to London continue to operate normally every day (except on July 1). Passengers departing will not be affected.
After the announcement of the British Airways statement, a large number of netizens left a message under the British Airways Facebook account to thank: “Thank you for the arrangement of British Airways for Hong Kong residents!” Some netizens left a message describing the maintenance of British Airways’ outbound flights as “Hong Kong Dunkok (Hong Kong) Kong Dunkirk)”, said “Thank you BA for taking Hong Kong people out of pain”.
The “Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2020” known as the “Port Lockdown Ordinance” will be implemented on August 1, which has also caused public concern. The revised immigration regulations stipulate that the Director of Security can empower the Director of Immigration and others to request the aircraft to provide information on passengers on the transport, and instruct a certain transport not to carry someone.
The Security Bureau claimed that the amendments were aimed at refugees, targeting flights arriving in Hong Kong rather than departing from Hong Kong, and included relevant restrictions in subsidiary legislation. However, the concerned groups are still worried that the main legislation gives too much power to the Director of Immigration, and the subsidiary legislation is not sufficient to restrict it.
Another reason for the surge in the number of people going to the UK is that many Hong Kong people immigrate to the UK through the “Leave Outside the Rules” (Leave Outside the Rules), which will expire on July 19. Applicants do not need to hold a valid BNO visa when entering the country, and can apply for a BNO visa within six months of arriving in the UK. Since the British government announced the “Concession Permit” for Hong Kong BNO holders last year, it has extended it many times this year, and it is currently unknown whether it will be extended after the expiration.
Every year on July 1st, Hong Kong’s sovereignty transfer anniversary day, Hong Kong citizens will hold large-scale demonstrations. In the “Return to Send” movement in 2019, the number of parades reached 550,000. This year, three groups applied for a “7.1” demonstration, which was opposed by the police. On June 30, the police arrested Zou Xingtong, vice chairman of the stake, revoked her bail, and charged her for “inciting an unauthorized assembly.” The police claimed that she was suspected of participating in the promotion and appeal of “7.1” demonstrations on social platforms.
On June 17, the police arrested five senior officials of One Media and Apple Daily under the “National Security Act”, frozen funds, and then arrested two more chief writers. “Apple Daily” was eventually forced to suspend publication on June 24. The intensified suppression of the media by the authorities caused a chilling effect. Many online media outlets subsequently closed down, and current critics also removed articles and videos from the shelves and shut down social channels.
He Liangmao, a senior media person who immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong, said on June 30 in our newspaper’s “True Words” program: “The immigration wave around 1997 is really an immigration, but today I am afraid that the use of’emigration wave’ is not accurate. Use it.” “Going in trouble” describes it as “fleeing”.” He continued that the reason for Hong Kong people’s emigration is psychological fear and anxiety. Faced with the lawless oppression of the CCP, they “killed themselves and forced them to the eyes.” Like the Vietnamese boat people back then, they had to flee their hometown.
The Hong Kong government has never announced immigration figures. According to the “Hong Kong Economic Journal” quoting an entry-exit data chart produced by independent stock commentator David Webb, during the one-year period of the implementation of the “Hong Kong version of the National Security Law”, as of June 27 this year, the number of Hong Kong residents entering the country from the airport was 230,982. The number of departures was 338,514, and the net number of departures reached 107,532, accounting for 1.4% of the total population of Hong Kong. @
Editor in charge: Chen Wenqi#
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