Taipei, March 3 Hong Kong and Macau residents would no longer be provided with leniency for permanent residency in Taiwan as the country is considering introducing stricter citizenship laws due to China's policies, according to local media.
The Taiwanese government may remove the optional path to citizenship for Hong Kong and Macau residents and is considering lengthening the terms of permanent residency eligibility, reports the country's leading newspaper, Taipei Times, quoting sources.
On the condition of anonymity, an official familiar with the matter told the Taipei Times that in a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the Taiwanese government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment.
The official said that under the amendments, before becoming eligible for permanent residency, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for four years, up from the current one year, and they would no longer be able to apply for citizenship after obtaining permanent residency.
He further added that under the proposed amendments, residency applicants from Hong Kong or Macau who have worked for the CCP, the Chinese military, or Chinese public institutions would be strictly scrutinised and potentially have their applications denied, according to the report.
The move was part of Taiwan's "national security-related legislative reform," the official stated.
Taiwan is mulling over the proposal in response to the changing situation in Hong Kong, where more than 2 million mainland Chinese have migrated since the 1997 handover of the territory to China.
After Beijing imposed the National Security Law in 2020, which significantly altered Hong Kong's landscape and enhanced the Chinese influence, Taiwan's relaxed immigration policies for Hong Kongers became a major national security loophole, according to local media reports.
"Whether they arrived through marriage with a Taiwanese, investment immigration or obtained residency through a professional skill, Hong Kong migrants almost always apply for permanent residence in the second year," the official mentioned.
"We have found that some migrants from Hong Kong and Macau are not interested in Taiwan citizenship anyway and only want some form of permanent residence. So, we do not anticipate the change being a problem," the official added.
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