Political crackdown prompts Hong Kongers to leave, and start new lives on P.E.I.

June 30, 2020. That is when Daniel Leung knew he needed to go.

On that day, the Chinese language authorities enacted the Hong Kong nationwide safety legislation, criminalizing secession, subversion, terrorism and international collusion within the former British colony. 

Basically, it made it simpler for the mainland authorities to crack down on dissent following the riots and protests that shut down the semi-autonomous territory for over a 12 months beginning in 2019.

Leung, a Hong Konger, stated he had been collaborating in pro-democracy marches each July 1 since he was a college pupil, and that it was no totally different in the course of the years main as much as the legislation’s enactment. 

However one thing modified in 2020: He started to really feel afraid.

“We wish to say, to shout to the federal government that ‘Do not do that, that is flawed.’ However I feel all people is aware of that if you present one thing that the federal government doing is flawed, then you can be caught and be put into jail. That could be very scary. And it is not — this isn’t justice,” he stated.

“At that second, I sit down with my spouse and speak, take into consideration ‘Is Hong Kong is protected place that we will keep longer?’ In order that’s once we determined to return to Canada.”

Leung, his spouse Mona and their two grownup youngsters are simply a few of the Hong Kongers who determined to depart the territory for good within the final two years.

A few of those that selected P.E.I. as their last vacation spot advised CBC Information they picked the province resulting from much less stringent immigration necessities.

However for Leung, his household and others, that did not make the choice to to migrate any simpler. It will imply leaving relations and pals behind, quitting jobs and faculties, promoting every thing they owned and beginning once more.

“We sacrifice our profession, we sacrifice all of the issues. However I feel that is price for us to do it,” Leung stated. 

“I do not need my children someday, when they’re my age [to be] residing in a entice.”

Disillusionment

The latest pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong may be traced to the 2014 Umbrella Motion, however the incident which immediately triggered the mass demonstrations was the introduction of a invoice that will permit extraditions to mainland China in June 2019. 

That June, there have been two main rallies that are estimated to have drawn over one million folks every in a metropolis with a inhabitants of seven million. 

Galen Ho participated in each of them, however he stated he rapidly began to have his doubts that something would change. He then started planning his transfer to P.E.I.

“The 2 million folks protest is a turning level. I imply, the federal government … taught us that protest peacefully would not work,” Ho stated. He now runs a personal blog in Chinese language the place he talks about life in P.E.I.

“P.E.I. is 5 instances greater than Hong Kong, however there are two million folks [walking] out to inform the federal government that we do not want their payments. However the authorities simply hold saying no.”

The core group of protesters was made out of younger folks.

Cindy Peng, who research enterprise in P.E.I., had simply completed highschool when the demonstrations started.

Peng was there for the foremost rallies, however she stated she stopped going as soon as police ceased tolerating the protests and violent clashes between the pro- and anti-government camps worsened.

“What I’d do is like, some posters, we’d stick them within the tunnel, you realize, the road and stuff,” she stated. “Notices to all: at the moment or subsequent week, we could have this type of protest right here.”

Peng stated she knew folks across the similar age who have been arrested by police. Another Hong Kongers in P.E.I. advised CBC Information that they have been hesitant to discuss the protests even now for fears of prosecution ought to they ever be again in Hong Kong.

Although Peng believed within the protesters’ trigger, she stated the enactment of the nationwide safety legislation made her determine to depart her hometown for good.

“I nonetheless love Hong Kong,” she stated. “However it’s simply one thing that when you love that place, it is so exhausting so that you can see that place is corrupting, prefer it’s rotten.”

Streams A and B

Peng stated there are a few couple dozen UPEI college students from Hong Kong, and the entire ones she has met plan to remain in Canada as everlasting residents by one of many new pathways opened by the federal authorities in 2021.

Streams A and B are open for Hong Kong residents who graduated from a Canadian establishment or have work expertise within the nation. 

Cristian Ho graduated from UPEI this 12 months and plans to use for Stream A. Cristian, who moved to P.E.I. earlier than the protests started, stated he now intends to convey his household right here as nicely.

“I used to be studying articles and articles, watching movies, seeing folks getting crushed up by police. There was one time that my sister practically obtained arrested by police — and she or he was simply on a bus. She wasn’t doing something  — as a result of there are protesters on the bus,” he stated.

“I actually wished to strive my finest to get a job … then convey my household to Canada, to a spot which has freedom. In order that’s my intention.”

Cristian stated that whereas life on P.E.I. is totally different to life in a mega-city, he prefers it to life in Hong Kong. However whether or not he’ll keep within the Island for the long run will rely on the out there alternatives.

“I wish to develop into a designer, however there aren’t a lot designer job openings,” he stated. “I’m planning to remain for 2 years, then I’d be fascinated by what I ought to do.”

Provincial nominees

Cristian stated that as a result of political state of affairs, he has seen a rise within the variety of folks arriving from Hong Kong within the final two years, most immigrating by the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

On P.E.I., this system favours expert employees in areas the place there are labour market gaps, in addition to entrepreneurs.

Under the 100 per cent ownership stream, candidates will need to have a minimal internet price of $600,000, an in depth marketing strategy and put aside $150,000 to go towards their new enterprise.

“After sure analysis, the PNP program from P.E.I. authorities appears possible,” Galen Ho stated. He runs a store on the Confederation Courtroom Mall the place he sells Japanese home goods.

“[Under PNP] we have now to maintain our enterprise now not less than three years … so the last word aim, in fact, after three years, I can proceed working my enterprise and to maintain my residing.”

However organising a brand new enterprise by PNP just isn’t a stroll within the park.

“Discovering a spot [for] the retailers or the workplace just isn’t fairly simple, particularly final 12 months … and hire is dear,” Gary Man stated. He and Diana Chui migrated to open up a occasion planning enterprise final 12 months. 

“Doing enterprise, a brand new enterprise, abroad is, I feel, actually a problem by way of methods to get the connections,” Chui stated. “We’re not finding out right here. After which we have now no pals. And we do not know folks.”

As a result of the principal applicant to the PNP program cannot work anyplace besides their new enterprise, that places lots of stress on the enterprise to succeed — and on members of the family of the principal applicant to search out jobs elsewhere.

“I am a librarian, working for a college in Hong Kong. I am in search of related jobs right here, however really there’s solely two excessive training [institutions] right here … so not too many alternatives,” Chui stated.

Galen stated there are positively some Hong Kongers in P.E.I. who’re “struggling” to maintain their enterprise. 

However he stated the foremost subject for most individuals is the lengthy backlog in everlasting residence purposes which grew worse in the course of the pandemic.

“[It went] from one 12 months to 2 years, and now the most recent is 28 months,” he stated. “We expect the entire course of will probably be getting longer and longer.”

Migration politics

Within the meantime, the Hong Kong group on P.E.I. continues to be shut and politically engaged. A latest screening at Metropolis Cinema of a documentary on the protest drew a full crowd of individuals.

“We wished the local people to know that was happening in Hong Kong. Why there are lots of Hong Kong folks shifting to the nation,” Peng stated.

“We watched it collectively and it was a full home of Hong Kongers. That is so touching … Even when we’re not in Hong Kong, that connection will nonetheless be there as a result of we’re from Hong Kong.”

“We wish to deal with the Island as our dwelling now,” Galen stated. “We do not wish to hold shifting to totally different locations, like each three, 4, 5 years … We wish to deal with Canada as our dwelling, as a result of there isn’t any approach we will return to Hong Kong.”

Sitting on glass shows at a Confederation Courtroom Mall, a sight, up to now, very novel to P.E.I.: rows of plastic fashions primarily based on a success Japanese animated sequence which began within the 80s.

“Gundam could be very well-known in Japan … They’re robots, pretend robots. Some type of Transformer,” Leung stated. “Among the prospects, they’re very stunned after they see all these things right here.”

It is the primary product offered on the retailer Leung arrange by the PNP program. Opening the shop price his household extra than simply cash — each his son and daughter needed to stop their research in legislation and training respectively.

Nonetheless, Leung stated it was mandatory.

“I talked to him and say that you simply examine [law] in a spot that the nation or the town did not obey the legislation. Why you examine there?” he stated. “I talked to my daughter… when you graduate and you can be a instructor someday, you can be very scared. You are in danger right here. Day by day, you should take into consideration when you communicate one thing flawed … 

“We come to Canada due to my children. I can let you know that.”