Rapid increase in applications for overseas migration in Hong Kong

[Hong Kong / Melbourne / Vancouver 13 Reuters]-Hong Kong continues to undergo large-scale anti-government demonstrations, and the number of citizens planning to escape is increasing due to the rapid increase in applications for overseas migration.

There are no official statistics on overseas migration in Hong Kong. However, the number of police documents (29 US dollars) required for visa application was 3649 in August, an increase of 54% from the same month last year. Since the beginning of the year, this time is the largest in the past five years.

According to estimates by the Hong Kong government, the number of migrants last year was about 7,600, which is about one-third of the number of applicants for police documents required for visa applications.

Reuters reported in June that the wealthy have escaped to Singapore and other countries, but according to immigration authorities, these movements have recently spread to the middle class.

Preferred destinations for migration are Malaysia, where prices are relatively low, and Taiwan, the same Greater China region. According to Taiwan authorities, the number of visas issued to Hong Kong citizens in June and July was 884, an increase of 38% over the same period last year. In New Zealand, the number of visa applications from Hong Kong citizens was 34 in June and 44 in July, slightly higher than the average of 29.