來加尋求庇護之港人料增
副總理方慧蘭(Chrystia Freeland)被問及為數不少之香港抗爭者來加尋求庇護時讚揚這個前英國殖民地之優良移民為加拿大頁獻良多，但拒絕回應渥京會否給予他們難民身份。
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, asked about dozens of asylum claims made by Hong Kong protesters in Canada, praised the rich contribution immigrants from this former British colony have made to this country but declined to indicate whether Ottawa would grant the applicants refuge.
方慧蘭於周一向傳媒表示她無法就個別庇護申請回應，因每宗個案必須審慎裁決。她讚揚加拿大港人移民造福社會。
Ms. Freeland told media Monday that while she can’t comment on specific asylum claims, which she said need to be adjudicated “very carefully and very thoughtfully,” Canadians agree that migrants from Hong Kong have been a boon for this country.
方慧蘭道：「港人移民使加國獲益甚鉅。他們對加國貢獻無可估計。我們皆喜見眾多港人選擇以加國為家。」
“Canada has benefited hugely from the immigration of people from Hong Kong to Canada. They contribute tremendously to our society and I think all of us are very glad that so many people from Hong Kong have chosen to make their home and their lives here,” Ms. Freeland said.
《環球郵報》於周一率先報導多達46名香港公民於加國尋求庇護。當中大多數人參與去年的反逃犯條例修訂引發之大規模遊行，而此修訂被視為中国共產黨加緊箝制這個亞洲城巿。報導提及這些香港公民被香港警察侵犯人身、虐待，有面臨不公控罪之虞。
As the Globe and Mail first reported Monday, 46 Hong Kong citizens – many of whom took part in the massive demonstrations that began last year as China tightened its grip on the Asian city – are seeking asylum in Canada, citing harassment and brutality at the hands of police and fear of unjust prosecution.
有專家表示此事只為冰山一角，將來有更大批人士尋求庇護。
This may only be the start of a bigger wave of asylum seekers, experts say.
前外交官Guy Saint-Jacques和身兼移民律師及具豐富對亞洲移民經驗的移民政策分析員的 Richard Kurland均表示，這些個案很可能是因香港政治難民潮之開端。
Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian diplomat, and Richard Kurland, an immigration lawyer and immigration policy analyst with extensive experience in dealing with Asian migration, both say these cases are likely the beginning of a surge in refugee claims from Hong Kong as political turmoil there continues.
由2019年1月起至2020年3月，共46名香港人提交難民申請。這些申請遍佈全國，在機場、CBSA辦公室及IRCC辦公室均見，現正候審。這些尋求庇護者面臨在香港因與示威相關而被起訴。
The 46 would-be refugees from Hong Kong applied for asylum claims between Jan 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020. The claims, which are all pending, were received at airports, Canada Border Security Agency bureaus and Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada offices (IRCC) across the country. Many of those claiming asylum in Canada face charges in Hong Kong in connection with the protests.
卑詩大學公共政策及環球事務客席教授姜聞然（Wenran Jiang）表示，加拿大需要僅慎地處理。「若渥太華正式地鼓耐及開放政治庇護予香港示威者，甚至給予那些犯法的暴徒，北京很可能形容這行徑為干予中国內政，使中加關係雪上加霜。」
Wenran Jiang , an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, said Canada should proceed cautiously. “If Ottawa officially encourages and offers political asylum to protesters in Hong Kong, even [if] some of them clearly broke the law by being violent, Beijing is likely to interpret such a move as interfering in China’s domestic affairs, leading to adding more chill to an already cold-bilateral relationship.”
加拿大與中國之關係於2018年尾開始明顯惡化，當時渥太華因美國引渡要求而拘捕了一名中国高科技行政人員，並惹來被廣泛認為是報復之行為，即拘兩名加拿大人，前外交官康明凱及史派佛。
Canada’s relations within China deteriorated significantly in late 2018 after Ottawa arrested a Chinese high-tech executive on a U.S. extradition request and Beijing, in what was widely seen as retaliation, locked up two Canadians – former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor.
保守黨國會議員兼加中關係委員會成員 Garnett Genuis表示，有合理理由給予香港民主鬥士政治庇護。他表示，希望加拿大不會因為害怕激嬲中共而否決這些申請。
Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, who sits on the House of Commons Canada-China committee, said there are valid reasons for granting asylum to pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong. He said he hopes Canada doesn’t turn away these claimants for fear of offending China.
「每宗庇護申請都是獨立程序，可以肯定判決不會受政治左右。」他表示：「我們需要絕對地按其因素地予其庇護。根據我聽聞，這些呈請中之因素包括一件大事，就是眾所周知的香港人權現況。」
“The adjudication of asylum claims is an independent process and certainly determination should never be influenced by politics or fears of political retaliation,” he said. “We should absolutely be accepting asylum claims on their merit and … based on what I have heard about these claims there is a strong case to be made for their merit given the human rights abuses that we know of in Hong Kong.”
前加拿大駐華大使Saint-Jacques同意若加拿大給予香港民主鬥士政治庇護會令北京不高興，但他仍要說他們嘉許難民。
Mr. Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, agrees that Beijing would be displeased if Canada were to grant asylum to Hong Kong pro-democracy advocates, but he also says they merit refuge.
他表示：「現在香港發生之事，以及中國侵佔香港公民之自由，清楚地指出這些人有合法理由去認為他們的人權不會被尊重。」
“Given what is happening in Hong Kong and the fact that China is encroaching more and more on the rights of Hong Kong citizens …. clearly these people have a legitimate [reason] to think that their rights will not be respected,” he said.
Mr. Saint-Jacques表示，他預測未來數月將會有大量香港人湧入加拿大，包括30萬居港加拿大人。
Mr. Saint-Jacques said he expects there will be a large influx of people coming from Hong Kong in the months ahead, including many of the 300,000 residents of the Asian city who hold Canadian passports.
他說：「我認為這些人可以(為加拿大)帶來貢獻，但聯邦政府面對一個兩難，就是此事發生在加拿大需要中国提供醫療設備。」
“I think these people would make a good contribution [to Canada] but the big dilemma for the federal government is that this is happening at the time when we need China’s goodwill to supply medical equipment we are desperate for,” he said.
Mr. Kurland表示，他認為這46名申請庇護者是香港難民個案上升之開端。「會接踵而來，計劃香港難民申請數字突然飆升是明智之舉。」據Hong Kong Watch資料顯示，超過50萬加拿大國民是香港人。
Mr. Kurland said he thinks the 46 asylum claims may be the beginning of a rise in refugee applicants from Hong Kong. “There may be legs to this,” he said. “Planning for a sudden climb in Hong Kong refugee claim numbers is prudent.” Today, as many as 500,000 Canadians of Hong Kong descent live in Canada, according to Hong Kong Watch.
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