Parliamentarians from all sides urge Canadian Government to extend and expand Open Work Permit scheme for Hongkongers

Today, a cross-party group of 19 parliamentarians in Canada have written to the Minister of Global Affairs and the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, calling for the extension and expansion of the Open Work Permit for Hong Kongers.

The parliamentarians in their letter note that the scheme is due to come up for renewal in February 2023 and that the current narrow provisions are restricting access to the scheme for many Hong Kong pro-democracy activists involved in the 2019 pro-democracy protests.

Citing research by Hong Kong Watch, which has found that over 1.9 million Hong Kongers are not covered by the UK BNO Visa Scheme, the BNO Visa extension, Canada’s existing lifeboat scheme, or Australia’s current lifeboat scheme, the parliamentarians have called on Global Affairs and IRCC to lift the five-year graduation restriction, open up mental health and employment services for new arrivals, and create a designated pathway for human rights defenders. 

The full letter can be read here.

Sam Goodman, Hong Kong Watch’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:

“It is clear that Members of Parliament and Senators from across the political divide recognise the urgency and necessity in not only extending the Open Work Permit for Hong Kongers but expanding the scheme to meet the scale of the human rights crisis in the city.

We sincerely hope that Global Affairs and IRCC will listen to these parliamentarians and consider plans to lift the five-year graduation restriction for those applying for the Open Work Permit, the requirement for a Hong Kong Police Certificate, access to mental health and employment services available to other refugee groups, and create a dedicated route for human rights defenders.”

Commenting on the scheme, Max Wu, Hong Kong Watch’s Community Outreach and Communications Advisor and a beneficiary of the original Open Work Permit scheme, said:

“We are all very grateful that the Open Work Permit scheme provides a way out for Hong Kongers. However, there are a lot of Hong Kongers, like teachers, journalists, legal professionals and students, who were involved in the pro-democracy protests but have been left out of the scheme because of the five-year graduation restriction.

The five-year graduation restriction of Hong Kong pathway also forces the work permit holders to apply for jobs blindly, as they do not have the time to plan their career path slowly and wisely. It is a waste of their talent, and goes against the intention of the scheme.”

加拿大跨黨派議員敦促政府延長和擴大香港人的開放式工作簽證計劃

今天， 19名加拿大跨黨派國會議員聯署致函外交部長及移民部長，呼籲延長和擴大香港人的開放式工作簽證計劃。

議員們在信中指出，開放式工作簽證計劃將於 2023年 2月更新，而計劃目前的狹義條款限令很多參與 2019年抗爭運動的香港抗爭者未能受惠。

議員們引用香港監察的研究發現，超過 190萬香港人不在英國 BNO簽證計劃、BNO簽證計劃延伸、加拿大及澳洲現有的救生艇計劃的保護範圍內。他們呼籲加拿大環球事務部（外交部）及移民、難民及公民部取消開放式工作簽證計劃的五年內畢業限制、為新移民推出精神健康及就業服務，並為人權捍衛者制訂指定的移民途徑。

香港監察的政策及倡議總監 Sam Goodman指：

「來自不同政治派別的國會議員和參議員都明顯認識到，當局不僅要延長香港人的開放式工作簽證，同時亦要擴大該計劃，以應對香港人權危機的規模，這是非常緊迫和必要的。

香港監察希望加拿大外交部和移民局能夠聽取這些議員的意見，考慮取消申請開放式工作簽證的五年內畢業限制及提交香港『良民證』的要求，確保香港新移民獲得應有的精神健康和就業服務，並為人權捍衛者制訂指定的移民途徑。」

香港監察加拿大社區外展及通訊顧問、開放式工作簽證計劃受惠者胡耀昌在評論該計劃時說：

「非常感謝開放式工作簽證計劃為香港人提供了一條出路。然而，有很多曾經參與 2019抗爭運動的香港人，例如教師、記者、法律專業人士和學生等，因五年內畢業的限制而被排除在該計劃之外。

而因為五年內畢業限制亦迫使很多工作簽證持有人盲目求職，因為他們抵達加拿大後未能獲得足夠時間明智地規劃職業道路。這是對他們的專業及才華的一種浪費，亦違背了該計劃的初衷。」