The Australian government said it will offer about 10,000 Hong Kong passport holders living in Australia a chance to apply for permanent residence once their visas expire.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government believes China's imposition of a tough national security law on the semi-autonomous territory meant pro-democracy supporters may face political persecution.
"That means that many Hong Kong passport holders may be looking for other destinations to go to and hence why we have put forward our additional visa options for them," acting immigration minister Alan Tudge told Australian Broadcasting Corp television on Sunday.
In order to obtain permanent residency, applicants would still have to pass "the character test, the national security test and the like", Mr Tudge said.
"So it's not automatic. But it's certainly an easier pathway to permanent residency and, of course, once you're a permanent resident, there's then a pathway to citizenship," he said. "If people are genuinely persecuted and they can prove that case, then they can apply for one of our humanitarian visas in any case."
Last week, Australia suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and extended visas for Hong Kong residents from two to five years.
The move came after China bypassed Hong Kong's Legislative Council to impose the sweeping security legislation without public consultation. Critics viewed the law – in response to last year's sometimes violent protests calling for greater democracy and more police accountability – as a further deterioration of freedoms promised to the former British colony.
The national security law prohibited what Beijing viewed as secessionist, subversive or terrorist activities or as foreign intervention in Hong Kong's affairs. Under the law, police have sweeping powers to conduct searches without warrants and order internet service providers and platforms to remove messages deemed to be in violation of the legislation.
The Chinese foreign ministry said it reserved the right to "take further actions" in response to moves by Canberra. "The consequences will be fully borne by Australia," spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing on Thursday.
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand (Saturday, 12pm)
Wales v South Africa (Sunday, 1pm)
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich 1
Kimmich (27')
Real Madrid 2
Marcelo (43'), Asensio (56')
Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
