Oz offer's catch - undesirables to be sent back

Australia's acting immigration minister Alan Tudge has said the plan to offer permanent residency to around 10,000 Hong Kong passport holders currently living in Australia is not guaranteed, emphasizing that "if there's a character concern, they'll be sent back."

Hongkongers in the country have been offered visa extensions of up to five years in response to Beijing's imposition of the national security law for Hong Kong. They have a chance to apply for permanent residence once the current visas expire.

But in order to obtain permanent residency, applicants would still have to pass "the character test, the national security test and the like,'' Tudge told Australian Broadcasting Corp's political discussion program Insiders yesterday.

"So it's not automatic. But it's certainly an easier pathway to permanent residency and, of course, once you're a permanent resident, there's then a pathway to citizenship there."

He added: "What we are saying is that people will have the opportunity to apply for permanent residency, but I mean, if there's a serious security issue in relation to that person, they'll be sent back. If there's a character concern, they'll be sent back."

Nevertheless, Tudge reassured the estimated 10,500 students and 1,500 other Hongkongers on relevant visas that a successful application is probable.

"If they apply and they don't breach their conditions, it's likely that they'll be able to stay," he said.

Although Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced earlier that he was "actively" considering safe haven for Hongkongers, the eventual deal did not offer general visa entitlement for Hongkongers to migrate to Australia or a safe haven settlement option like the one for Syrian refugees.

For those who are not current visa holders, Tudge explained they could apply for refugee settlement if they face persecution in Hong Kong.

"If people are genuinely persecuted and they can prove that case, then they can apply for one of our humanitarian visas in any case,'' Tudge said.

He added that about 137 people are already seeking asylum.

Tudge also pointed out that the Australian government is interested in Hong Kong's business talent.

"What we've done is that we've offered particular visas for people to come here, and particularly the global talent who is residing there," he said.

In addition to offering Hongkongers a route to permanent residency, Australia has also suspended its extradition treaty with the SAR.

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