US lawmakers push green card bill for Hongkongers, but observers doubt success

Two US lawmakers are pushing for a bill that would allow Hongkongers in the country to apply for permanent residency, but authorities and observers have dismissed it as a political move unlikely to succeed.

Senator Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, and Representative James McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, announced the Hong Konger Promise of Refuge Act, seeking to provide a pathway to green cards and ultimately citizenship for Hong Kong residents in the US currently protected under the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) programme.

Introducing the bill, Merkley accused Beijing and Hong Kong authorities of continuing to “undermine the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hongkongers”.

“The United States must protect Hong Kong residents who have sought refuge in America,” he said. “Congress must take action and enact our legislation to ensure Hongkongers residing in the US do not have to fear deportation.”