Human Smugglers Bringing HK Citizens to Taiwan: HK Report|港媒:反送中示威者 逾200人偷渡赴台

Activists in Hong Kong worry they will be targeted after China imposes the Hong Kong national security law this month and it is reported that over two hundred of them have entered Taiwan by being stowaways on boats over the past year. The report said the human smuggling price is now NT$3.81 million.


According to a Hong Kong media report, human smugglers are charging anti-extradition protestors NT$3.81 million to smuggle them to Taiwan. The report says at least 200 Hong Kong citizens have entered Taiwan this way in the past year.

There is no way to make an estimate, because the number of people in this situation will only keep rising. I have heard of this happening in the past, but I don't have any concrete numbers since these are illegal operations.

The human smuggling boats pick up passengers at Sai Kung, Aberdeen and Shau Kei Wan. Would-be passengers negotiate their price on site and then are given fake fishermen identities. Once they are in international waters, they are picked up by a shuttle boat that takes them to various ports in Taiwan. The trip takes 18 to 36 hours depending on the kind of boat. Most of the people arriving in Taiwan this way had their travel documents seized for participating in anti-extradition protests and therefore have to rely on human smuggling outfits to get out of Hong Kong.

If you take part in any anti-extradition event and (the authorities) decide to investigate you, or if (you) are released on bail, (your) travel documents will most likely be confiscated or you will be restricted from leaving Hong Kong. The Mainland Affairs Council has not told us how to handle these cases -- of how we should handle cases involving individuals that entered Taiwan illegally.

Former Basic Law Committee Vice Chair Elsie Leung says the Hong Kong national security act will be promulgated at the end of June and the "Free Hong Kong, Revolution Now" slogan used by protestors reflects a split nation as well as subversion of the regime. She says if Beijing doesn't take action, Hong Kong will turn into another Taiwan.

These actions are aimed at splitting the nation and subverting the regime. If (Beijing) doesn't take action, (Hong Kong) would become just like Taiwan.

Hong Kong Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng also says advocating Hong Kong independence is an act of secession and a new agency is being formed to oversee crimes against national security.



港版國安法立法在即，中國政府將可以直接逮捕覺得有必要的嫌犯，不限時間扣留在特設的拘留中心，不只引發港人不滿，反送中人士擔憂淪為迫害對象，偷渡來台的聲浪與日俱增，傳出還帶動偷渡金額水漲船高，喊價到新台幣381萬元，根據港媒報導，反送中運動一年以來，至少有200多位示威者偷渡來台。

司改會香港律師團 林俊宏表示：「沒辦法去預估，因為這樣子的人數，只會越來越多。那在過去確實有聽聞，可是沒有辦法具體統計數量，因為畢竟那個是走非法管道，他們也不太願意浮上檯面。」

偷渡路線以香港西貢、香港仔、筲箕灣，三大碼頭為逃亡熱點，示威者跟當地船家談好價格後，偽裝成釣客搭乘漁船，從香港水域航行到公海，轉達台灣接駁船，再上漁船載往台中、台南、高雄，大約耗費36小時，如果搭乘快艇只需18小時，但風險更高，這些偷渡人士，絕大多數是參與反送中運動被逮捕，旅行證件被扣押，無法尋正常管道來台的港人。

司改會香港律師團 林俊宏表示：「你只要是參與反送中事件，你只要經過他們的偵查，或者是他們的交保，他們大部分都會被沒收旅行文件，或者限制他們出境。目前還沒有聽到說，陸委會給我們一個比較具體的方式，是說像這樣子，沒有取得合法管道入境的人，我們要如何處理。」

基本法委員會前副主任梁愛詩預估，港版國安法六月底就會通過，而港人高喊「光復香港，時代革命」口號，反映分裂國家和顛覆政權思想，認為如果中國政府不處理，香港會步上台灣的局面。

香港基本法委員會前副主任 梁愛詩表示：「這些行為的目的，是在分裂國家顛覆政權，所以對於這些行為，這是要達到那些目的，如果再不管的話，以後就會變成像台灣一樣。」

香港律政司長鄭若驊則認為，倡議港獨也屬分裂國家行為，目前正籌備專門部門，負責起訴危害國家安全犯罪案件。