Outgoing U.S. President Biden has again approved a two-year extension for the forced departure deadline for Hong Kong residents remaining in the United States, allowing Hong Kong dissidents to continue staying in the U.S. after their visas expire.
According to reports by AFP and VOA, the White House announced on the 15th Eastern U.S. time that Biden decided to extend the deadline for the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for some Hong Kong residents currently in the U.S.
In a memorandum to the U.S. Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Biden instructed the U.S. government to further extend the deferred departure for some Hong Kong residents in the U.S. by two years, effective from the date the memorandum is issued. The current DED qualification for Hong Kong residents in the U.S. was originally set to expire on February 5, 2025.
The memorandum states that the U.S. supports the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Hong Kong residents, but the People's Republic of China continues to severely erode these rights and freedoms. Consequently, President Biden has instructed to extend the deferred departure period for some Hong Kong residents in the U.S.
The memorandum cited China's unilateral implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law in June 2020, which undermined the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents, including those protected by the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
The memorandum emphasizes that the U.S. is committed to a diplomatic policy that combines democratic values with its foreign policy goals, centering on defending democracy and promoting human rights globally. Providing a safe haven for Hong Kong residents who have been deprived of their freedoms helps further U.S. interests in the region. The United States will continue to steadfastly support the people of Hong Kong.
In the memorandum, Biden said that since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, at least 200 Hong Kong political figures and activists have been arrested on charges of subverting state power, with 45 pro-democracy activists convicted last year on the same charges. These reasons prompted the U.S. to decide to extend the forced departure deadline for some Hong Kong residents in the U.S.
On August 5, 2021, Biden signed the first memorandum providing Deferred Enforced Departure for some Hong Kong residents staying in the U.S. This asylum measure was originally set to expire on February 5, 2023. On January 26, 2023, Biden signed a memorandum extending this grace period by two years. Biden signed the memorandum on Wednesday to extend the forced departure deadline once again.