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HONG KONG HAS passed a new immigration law that includes powers to stop people entering or leaving the city, raising fears Chinese mainland-style “exit bans” could be deployed in the international business hub.
The legislation sailed through a legislature now devoid of opposition as Beijing seeks to quash dissent and make the semi-autonomous city more like the authoritarian mainland following huge and often violent democracy protests.
Activists, lawyers and some business figures have sounded the alarm over various provisions within the bill, including one that allows the city’s immigration chief to bar people from boarding planes to and from the city.
No court order is required and there is no recourse to appeal.
The city’s influential Bar Association (HKBA) warned the bill’s wording gave “apparently unfettered power” to the immigration director.
Speaking after the bill was passed today, labour activists and legal critics said the legislature had ignored concerns about the law’s broad wording and said they feared exit bans could now be employed in Hong Kong.
“When they have this power, absolute power, you don’t know who they will use it on,” barrister Chow Hang-tung, from the pro-democracy Hong Kong Alliance, told reporters after the bill was passed.
Hong Kong’s government said the immigration bill was needed to address a backlog of non-refoulement claims and to screen illegal immigrants before they depart for the city.
“It will only apply to flights heading to Hong Kong,” the Security Bureau said.
However, the wording of the bill does not limit the power to arriving flights or immigrants and legal experts say it could also be deployed against anyone leaving or arriving in Hong Kong.
So-called “exit bans” are often used in mainland China against activists who challenge authorities. They have also impacted business figures.
One recent example is Irishman Richard O’Halloran, who has been unable to leave Shanghai for two years because of a legal dispute involving the Chinese owner of a Dublin-based company for which he works.
‘Authoritarian swing’
Under Beijing’s direction, Hong Kong’s government has swung more authoritarian since 2019′s huge protests.
Faith in official assurances that the city is not becoming like the mainland has been rattled by the recent crackdown.
Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong last year, arguing it was needed to return stability and would not impact freedoms.
But its broad wording and subsequent application has criminalised much dissent and radically transformed a once politically pluralistic city.
Many of Hong Kong’s prominent pro-democracy figures have since been arrested, detained or fled overseas.
The city’s formerly raucous legislature has been cleared of pro-democracy opponents who resigned en masse late last year after three of their colleagues were disqualified for their political views.
Since then, the government has fast-tracked a number of laws with limited scrutiny and dissent in the legislature.
Today’s immigration bill received 39 votes in favour and two against. It was passed shortly after lawmakers approved a budget in record time with just one dissenting vote.
Beijing has also unveiled a new plan – dubbed “patriots rule Hong Kong” – to politically vet anyone standing for office and reduce the number of directly elected seats in the legislature to a small minority.
Critics of the immigration bill also say it will make it easier to detain and deport refugees.
Hong Kong only approves around one percent of refugee claims, one of the lowest rates in the world, and there is a huge backlog.
Refugees are unable to work while their applications are being processed and often live in miserable conditions.
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Also, on the internet, you can read all about how the Catholic church still have not paid up their share of redress for the systematic abuse, rape, torture of children for decades.
Don’t click on http://www.richarddawkins.net
Or, the actual bible for that matter.
Or here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=614
Damnable baby-friers, the lot of them.
Robin, I know you’re one of us. You spam too many threads there ;)
How about just be a good person.
Remember ” Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer”
Thanks to the internet that Missionary position is a thing of the past.
11: Go on videos about evolution and try to debate it, even though your grasp of biology is on par with a 4 year old blind mute.
12. If you’re a Christian, delete your Browsing History before the Bishop sees it, atheist’s get a free pass.
I would put this into the same category as the advertisement articles..
Pray bla pray bla pray bla. Do nothing bla.
The archbishop hasn’t said anything that could be construed as offensive here . It’s a message of community for all and finding common ground. But of course on the Journal comment section we find mostly those who prefer contrived arguments (who’s debating evolution?) and exercising their superiority complexes rather than concentrating on shared objectives. And then you wonder why you are left to interact only with fundamentalists
Live and let live. The Bishop said nothing offensive .
Not being offensive isn’t enough. If you’re a good person, you should be actively doing something good for the world, not just “not being bad”. Evil triumphs when good people do nothing, etc.
????
Cat videos are a gift fro God
To balance this out, can we have Micheal Nugent, Richard Dawkins, Dara O Briain, or some other atheist with an article tomorrow?
Not christian myself but just love the levels of tolerance here, nothing like it since the christians lost 126 to 0 to the lions in Rome in 76.
Mark, comment made me smile. Thank you.
Religious people need to harden up a bit, your claims are preposterous and if you can’t take a bit of stick from knuckle dragging fools, you could atleast defend what you believe in with some rationality and debate.
It’s a belief not proven fact.
There is no rational debate.
Sure, I’ll send a tip to the author: keep your sanctimonious nonsense for your congregation/practitioners/believers as it’s just about entirely irrelevant for this secular world …but thanks for sharing.
Just wait for all the comments from the knuckle dragging fools that can’t wait to criticise religion.
Gay scientists have discovered the gene that makes people Christians.
@Tom Cross – so you at least admit that Darwin was right?
Tom, believing there’s a guy up there controlling everything is a bit of a knuckle drag and saying God wrote the bible? Well that’s laughable, If you’re happy in that world of yours then stay there and don’t bother the rest of us!
Tom if it wasn’t for evolution, you lot would still be dragging your knuckles.
You missed the boat, Tom Cross. The first “knuckle-dragger” posted 31 minutes ago.
You hardly think Christians take that literally Stephen? Christian religion is a good moral road map to follow and although it has it’s issues I can’t see why people are so adamantly against it.
What’s the difference between God and the Tooth fairy. Why is it acceptable to stop believing in one beyond the age of 10 but not the other?
tom I think you will find Darwin proved we all evolved from knuckle dragging fools
Sure there’s nothing to criticize in religion.
The Pope said so and he is infallible.
There’s even 2 popes now. That’s called a miracle.
You appear to be in breach of #1, #2, and #5, there, Tom. Lighten up!
“destroy and degrade human sexuality and relationships, reduce persons to objects for gratification”
Anyone else a bit taken aback by the gall of a representative of the Roman church pontificating on this particular topic?
Religion should carry a mental health warning.
I’d prefer it if the EU simply insisted on treating religion the same way as tarot readers, and made every church, mosque and temple have a sign over the front door saying “For entertainment purposes only”.
Evangelising christians I have come across have a simple strategy. Rhetort from a list of long refuted arguments you found on a web site. As each is refuted move on to the next. When the list is exhausted start again ignoring the previous refutations. When caught out, move on to the next heathen.
The internet is full of aggressive “Christian” too ! Dear bishop !
Ha! You deleted my comment. That’s a win for me home boy. Stay in your capsule.
The beliefs they cling to are ridiculous, go to your local chipper on good Friday and order a half pounder and look at the disgust on the faces of the non practicing catholics
I must remember to print this list off and send it to my good old pal Paddy Scully, he’ll love number 3, ‘Never bear false witness on the Internet’.
There should have been something more specific regarding trolling as well, after all, the christian god was the first ever Troll. Making a list of Ten Rules and then programming us to want to do the opposite, then when we all thought we were safe and going about our business he floods our whole planet for the laugh, epic trolling by god.
Thought he said ‘ have a bareback for no 5′ for a sec there.
Would’ve been good to see them sticking to their principles with regards to the nuts and bolts of all this missionary pornography they’re promoting.
Religion is boll*x.
be positive and joyful that s the christian way
Empathy is what is needed not religion. Religion is open to interpretation. Where as empathy is not.
Yea verily, my buzz hath been slain!
The word “computer” adds up to 666 in Common English Gematria
http://www.alef.net/ALEFWorks/Images/ALEFImages-Computer666.Gif
OMG, a coincidence!
What’s your point?
Barney the Dinosaur is the Antichrist.
Proof:
Barney is a cute purple dinosaur.
Take the words CUTE PURPLE DINOSAUR.
Remove the non-Roman numerals and change the Us to Vs. CVVLDIV (D=500, C=100, L=50, V=5, I=1)
Add them up 100 + 5 + 5 + 50 + 500 + 1 + 5 = 666.
Proof Barney is the Antichrist.
REPENT! REPENT!
The ten commandments, how quaint.
Archbishop what if any systems do you have in place to enable the Catholic church to start islamic teachings? Have you any training prepared to deliver Islamic writings and the process involved?
There there. An extra layer of tinfoil on that hat will help.
Careful Now!
Down with that sort of thing!
Sutt Steve, now that would definitely be an ecumenical matter!
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, (NSA, Obama) as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”:..1 Peter 5:8…
That would be an Ecumenical matter.
Jesus wasn´t polemic? He was assassinated!!.
Slainte
Easter is cancelled. They found the body.
Christmas is cancelled. Joseph owned up.
He forgot some already in use by the likes of @MichaelKellyIC (Michael Kelly, editor of The Irish Catholic) and @davquinn (David Quinn, director of the Iona “Institute” lobby group) – “Youse people asking hard questions are anonymous, so I refuse to answer your questions or engage with you! Instead I’m just going to continue to pontificate over here, and blatantly ignore and/or /break 1 to 5…”
Thou shalt not use the words: Feck, Arse, Girls or Drink.
Crusades.
have your say