A Chinese man seeking asylum in the UK recently claimed that he participated in pro-Taiwan rallies and would face the risk of persecution if deported back to China. The British court subsequently ruled that he may legally continue to reside in the UK.
The UK's 'Daily Telegraph' reported on the 20th that, according to court documents, the judge pointed out that compared to when the asylum applicant moved to the UK in 2022, pro-Taiwan advocacy participants now indeed face greater risks in various places.
However, according to the report, this may be yet another case where an illegal immigrant or foreign criminal successfully prolongs their stay in the UK, or is permitted a suspension of deportation proceedings, by claiming the risk of human rights violations upon return. UK government officials are currently considering raising the threshold for judges to allow such individuals to use the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to remain in the UK.
The Chinese middle-aged man, codenamed BK in court documents, first applied for asylum in January 2022 but was rejected by a lower-level court. BK then filed an appeal with a higher court in March of this year.
In court, BK claimed that he had been arrested twice in China because of his pro-Taiwan stance. After moving to the UK, he participated in several pro-Taiwan activities, the last being in 2022. According to the report, BK arrived in the UK in 2022. BK also posted pro-Taiwan opinions on social media platforms like Facebook.
● 'Very Little' Evidence Shows Serious Support for 'Taiwan Independence'
However, despite there being 'very little' evidence that BK seriously supported Taiwan independence while in the UK, the court still found that he would be at risk of persecution if he returned to China.
BK is a Christian. The judge noted that, compared to when BK was last in China, the risk of being arrested for worshipping with an unrecognized church has now increased significantly.
The judge pointed out that even if Chinese authorities were unaware of BK's activities in the UK, it was still possible that BK would be questioned by authorities upon return to China. The judge argued that once asked about his actions in the UK or involvement in political activities, BK would likely not lie.
The judge noted that if BK continues to express support for 'Taiwan separatism', Chinese authorities would be very likely to find out and take action against BK.
Although BK's current level of prominence is not sufficient to present a specific risk, if he continues pro-Taiwan activities upon his return to China, he could indeed face harm of a severity amounting to 'persecution'. Therefore, the judge ruled that BK is entitled to international protection. (Source: Central News Agency)