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Airport echoes with sobs and farewells in Hong Kong exodus

34 Comments
By Yan Zhao and Louise Delmotte

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Just a matter of time before something akin to the Berlin Wall goes up, structures communist countries love to build.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Escape whilst you still can.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I wouldn't put it past China to shut down air and sea links if the number of people fleeing ramps up, unless it wants them to self-deport. You can rest assured that they know the names of the family members they've left behind, as well.

Yep. Beijing does want them to leave, since that will make leasing a flat (nobody really owns their home/apartment/flat in China) much cheaper for the mainland people who seek to move to Hong Kong for the greater "freedoms".

I'm surprised that Taiwan isn't more popular. Imagine how great a country CCP-China would be if it was like Taiwan with all that freedom, history, culture? THAT would be amazing to see and experience.

Average Chinese don't realize how much they lack freedom and won't, until they are in the group being hunted down by the CCP. If you don't stand up for the freedoms of others, then there won't be anyone left to stand up when your freedoms are taken too.

British Home Secretary Priti Patel is planning changes to the political asylum system making illegal to land on British soil without permission. Refugees would be suppose to claim asylum from their own countries first. Complete nonsense.

This is brilliant. The USA needs a law like that too. Organized asylum would mean that resources are available for the day a family arrives with a place to stay, help finding work, help locating a good area of the country to settle. A million people can't show up with a plan to wing it. Govts need time to plan, in advance, for new arrivals, especially those with children.

Hong Kongers all have internet and all are educated sufficiently to file for asylum in advance. For those who don't end up in a huge city, the added culture shock will be hard. Does the typical HGr know how to drive?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Talent drain

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I am sure that China is fully aware of this and will do nothing to stop it, the less resistance the better for them.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Get out while you can. Your destination need not be final; you can hang there while arrangements are made. But get out now.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Many Hong Kongers decided to stay despite the awful CCP. Some are just too old to uproot. Others have family commitments. There are possibly as many reasons as people.

The idea of wrecking the place is hysterical.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Money will buy you freedom. No cash, too bad. Both Canada and Australia have a large cohort of Chinese with residency. But you need to inject lots of cash to get it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

HK - drive on left, different electric plugs, own currencies, family names not used in mainland

Now losing people, voting with feet

Looking forward, what is mainland government going to do with HK

Going to UK - good luck!

Go to Australia, with grossly insular inward-looking COVID-driven policies like 30,000 allowed to enter country at all, and 1-way flights costing 5-figure A & US$ sums - couldn’t be a worse time.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Why not Canada? Also English speaking and surely plenty of space than a crowded island?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@BigYen

Totally agree. The UK bears heavy responsibility here and Johnson spouting off before getting his brain into gear was very unhelpful and fuels the kind of nonsense Ganbare Japan is posting here.

Grenfell was sickening. I have nothing but sympathy for the people of Hong Kong but I fear that won’t be the last time a disaster like that happens. The UK population is increasing and housing is not keeping up.

As for ‘feeding the beast’, I wasn’t singling out Australia. I was addressing an Australian to get his/her view. Many countries have contributed to the rise of China.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

British Home Secretary Priti Patel is planning changes to the Official Secrets Act that would "abandon the existing distinction between spying and leaking, and between leakers, whistleblowers and journalists" and allow courts to jail journalists for up to 14 years.

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-06-15-priti-patels-new-threat-to-british-journalists/

This is very similar to laws the Hong Kongers are trying to escape from. Why on earth would they want to go to the UK?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It would be very disappointing if other countries such as the UK completely ducked any responsibilities on this.

Totally correct.

Do what’s possible.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It would be very disappointing if other countries such as the UK completely ducked any responsibilities on this.

Totally correct.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The same people who are paying for the 150,000 HK immigrants to settle in the UK this year.

Do you see a difference between 150,000 and 3,000,000?

It almost sounds that you are being obstructionist toward these people and don't want them in the UK. I really hope I am wrong.

I have a lot of sympathy for them but I also think in practical terms. There are thousands of UK citizens already on waiting lists for housing. I’m not sure if the Aussie media reported the appalling disaster at Grenfell Tower where people perished in a fire. Sub standard housing.

You are not being serious when you post that 3 million can be accommodated quickly. People in the UK have been waiting years for housing.

I remember you posted that President Trump, Michael Pence, Abe-san and Aso-sensei were the envy of the world.

We don’t have geniuses like this.

We have Boris Johnson in charge. Things don’t run smoothly in the UK.

As I said, be serious. There is a time and place for comedy English, maskless foreigners in Starbucks, 126 million dancing in the streets, Ok…s, Commies, Naomi-chans, Aso-senseis and other assorted infantile nonsense, but try to take this one seriously.

It’s a serious matter.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Where? Who’s paying? What about the thousands already on waiting lists?

Who's paying? The same people who are paying for the 150,000 HK immigrants to settle in the UK this year.

Themselves.

It almost sounds that you are being obstructionist toward these people and don't want them in the UK. I really hope I am wrong.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Can’t do it logistically. Chronic housing shortage in the UK.

Then get them built. Soon.

Where? Who’s paying? What about the thousands already on waiting lists?

Not serious. Childish.

Look, the ganbare Japan, Naomi-chan, Kei-chan, 126 million dancing in the streets, evil commies is mildly amusing if you are 12, but this is a serious matter.

I think it’s a bit tasteless to treat it with such childishness.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Many are taking advantage of an offer by Hong Kong's former colonial overlord Britain allowing those with BNO passports and their relatives to settle there.

Why not just write "many are taking advantage of an offer made by Britain allowing..."

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Can’t do it logistically. Chronic housing shortage in the UK.

Then get them built. Soon.

What do you think Australia should do here? Help out? Australia fed the beast for a long time and made money off it.

All western nations, Aus, NZ, EU, Canada, US, plus Japan, should be taking as many as they can, but, to be sure, the UK bears the main obligation for re-settling those 3 million over-23s cohort.

Not doing it is a nail in the coffin for these freedom and democracy-loving people.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Surely his offer must be taken at face value. Because if not, many of these people are facing death at the hands of the commies. 

Let them in

Can’t do it logistically. Chronic housing shortage in the UK.

What do you think Australia should do here? Help out? Australia fed the beast for a long time and made money off it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The 3 million was a load of crap spouted by Johnson.

Surely his offer must be taken at face value. Because if not, many of these people are facing death at the hands of the commies.

Let them in.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

It's going to be a rude awakening for some of these people, especially during this pandemic. East Asians have always faced a lot of racism in countries like UK, and it's not going to stop. And there is a big housing shortage. I'm old enough to remember when some UK politicians were thinking of putting HKers on a remote island post 1989, rather than have them come to the UK mainland.

The 3 million was a load of crap spouted by Johnson.

Well, he does tend to spout a lot of that.

Gambare Nippon:

Good for them. They are doing the right thing by fleeing the super dangerous, out of control police-state that is Hong Kong.

Perhaps you'd like to ask your government to accommodate these people then? I thought not.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Japan should have opened its doors to the people of Hong Kong in the same way as Britain has.

Agree 100%. Japan should be aiming to attract the best and brightest of the kids - the under 23s. Let say 150,000 settle in Japan per year, for the next 3 years, and fast track their Japanese citizenship within 3-5 years.

In that cohort you will have Japans future scientists, engineers, doctors, businesspeople and IT professionals. It would be a massive shot in the arm for Japan, and they would fit in seamlessly.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I trust the UK is busy preparing housing and accomodation for these up to 3 million refugees over the age of 23. They will be a huge boost to the UK, most are highly educated and will set up businesses.

We’ve been through this, cobber. The UK cannot logistically support an influx of 3 million people given its housing shortage just for starters.

The 3 million was a load of crap spouted by Johnson.

Do you think Australia should take in some Hong Kongers given what you said? After all, Australia did contribute quite a bit to China’s extraordinary growth and ensuing assertiveness.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Reminiscent of the exodus from Europe in the 30s. I can only hope that future history doesn’t repeat the excesses of the past.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Good for them. They are doing the right thing by fleeing the super dangerous, out of control police-state that is Hong Kong. Most will never see the island again. Which is probably a good thing - it will be a ghetto within a year or two.

I trust the UK is busy preparing housing and accomodation for these up to 3 million refugees over the age of 23. They will be a huge boost to the UK, most are highly educated and will set up businesses.

Communist China will be the ultimate loser.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

This reminds me of the exodus of the Nationalist Chinese to Taiwan before the PRC took over in '49. It really will be a final goodbye to their homeland. Good luck to them and to those they leave behind.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

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