Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, wearing a protective face mask, attends a press conference while efforts to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on March 5, 2021. REUTERS / Blair Facade / File Photo
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s special immigration initiative for Hong Kong residents received more than 500 applications in its first three weeks, a Canadian immigration ministry spokesman said Friday.
In November, the Canadian government said it would become easier for Hong Kong youth to study and work in Canada in response to new security rules imposed by China on the former British colony.
“In the first three weeks that the program was open (Feb. 8 to Feb. 28), IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) received 503 work permit applications and 10 work permit renewal applications,” said press secretary Alexander Cohen. by email.
“Canada shares the grave concern of the international community about China’s national security laws and strongly supports the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression and assembly,” the statement said.
Canada said in February that Hong Kong graduates at Canadian universities could apply for a new category of three-year work permit starting that month. read more
China imposed a new national security law in Hong Kong at the end of June 2020, targeting anything Beijing sees as subversion, secession or terrorism.
While China enforced the sweeping law, residents of the city moved tens of billions of dollars around the world to Canada, where thousands hoped to forge a new future. read more
Capital flows from Hong Kong banks reaching Canada rose to their highest level ever recorded last year, with approximately C $ 43.6 billion ($ 34.87 billion) in electronic funds transfers (EFT) registered by FINTRAC, Canada’s anti-money laundering agency, that receives reports. on transfers of more than C $ 10,000.
The Hong Kong government has said the city has not seen a significant capital outflow since the anti-government unrest first began in 2019.
Canada has been a second home to many Hong Kong residents after their families moved to the Vancouver and Toronto areas, prior to the British handover of the former colony to China in 1997. After obtaining Canadian citizenship, many returned to Hong Kong, where now about 300,000 Canadians – one of the largest Canadian communities abroad.
Canadian visa applications from Hong Kong, excluding visitor visas, were up 10% to 8,121 in 2020.
($ 1 = 1,2503 Canadian dollars)
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