Australia Extends Visas To Hong Kong Residents For 5 Years Amid China's New Law - Morrison

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2020) Australia is extending visas for Hong Kong passport holders who are studying in the country or have recently graduated to stay for five years and is offering them a pathway to a permanent residency amid concerns over the autonomy of the region in light of China's new security law, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.

"We have agreed to adjust the policy settings to ensure that for skilled and graduate visa holders [from Hong Kong] we will be extending visas by five years from today, with the pathway to the permanent residency at the end of those five years," Morrison said at a press conference.

The country's new policy envisages extending visas for approximately 10,000 Hong Kong citizens studying or working in Australia. The prime minister also announced the suspension of the Australia-Hong Kong extradition treaty.

"In respect to our extradition agreement with Hong Kong, and so Australia today has taken steps to suspend our extradition agreement," Morrison said, adding that the authorities have notified Hong Kong and Beijing about the decision.

Canada and the United Kingdom have also previously suspended the extradition agreement with China's special administrative region.

China's new national security law, which entered into force on June 30, has been condemned by the Hong Kong opposition, as well as Western officials, who claim it would undermine the city's autonomy guaranteed during its transition from the UK to China. The new law has been met by a wave of protests in the city, as some residents fear their rights may be infringed upon.

Both Hong Kong's leadership and the central government in Beijing say the law would not affect residents' rights. Beijing maintains that the recent unrest in Hong Kong is a result of foreign interference and vows to respect the "one country, two systems" principle.