In February 2023, Hong Kong Watch successfully campaigned for the expansion and extension of Open Work Permit in Canada as part of our international lifeboat campaign. Following our continuous engagement with the Canadian government, in July 2023, Stream B pathway was expanded to include graduates from 2016/17.

Following a Hong Kong Watch briefing on the ties between Canadian investment funds and human rights violations in the PRC (published in February 2024) and a series of Special Committee hearings, at least 4 Canadian pension funds exited China.

Working with allies in the US Congress, HKW helped draft and pass the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, sanctioning individuals and companies responsible for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy. We have also been a vocal voice for Magnitsky sanctions with allies in the UK, Canada, and EU Parliaments as well, including getting our sanctions list incorporated into the EU Parliament’s joint-resolution on Hong Kong.

HKW successfully campaigned for the suspension of extradition treaties with Hong Kong in Canada, New Zealand, USA, UK, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and France. As well as ensured the EU Parliament has included calls for EU Member States to suspend extradition with the PRC in two joint-resolutions.

HKW organised the largest international statement condemning the introduction of the National Security Law, signed by 904 parliamentarians and policymakers from 43 countries.

HKW coordinated an international letter from 155 parliamentarians from 18 countries calling for Carrie Lam to intercede in the case of the 12 HK youths.

Hong Kong Watch has successfully advocated for the rights of BNO status holders in the UK, culminating with the launch of the BNO visa policy. Since then, we have successfully advocated for an extension of the BNO visa scheme which allowed those born after the handover in 1997, with BNO parents, to apply independently for the scheme from November 2022.

We are regularly in contact with the Home Office, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and Members of Parliament about issues that Hong Kongers are facing in integrating into UK society and continue to work with them to improve the BNO policy. In 2022, we launched a civic and political education campaign which aims to help the Hong Kong BNO community better understand the UK’s political system, how they can engage with it, what their rights are and what its impact and relevance is.

Over the past several years, we have worked closely with the Canadian Government on a ‘Young Talents Scheme’ for Hong Kong graduates and their dependents to live and work in Canada. In February 2023, we successfully advocated for the extension and expansion of the Open Work Permit scheme in Canada, leading to the expansion of the eligibility criteria to include more Hong Kongers. We continue to work with the Government of Canada to ensure safe, viable lifelines for Hong Kongers out of the city.

HKW produced in-depth research on ‘Why Hong Kong Matters’ looking at the continual role of Hong Kong as a financial centre for raising foreign capital for mainland China, regular reports on the latest developments in Hong Kong under the National Security Law, analysis on the Government’s BNO proposal, the work of the United Front, the impact of Chinese foreign direct investment on the EU’s response to the human rights crisis in Hong Kong, and debunking the public health claims for postponement of LegCo elections. We also produced explainers on the Canadian ‘Young Talents Scheme’, the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, and the gaps that exist when it comes to the current lifeboat policy announcements.

Articles drafted by Hong Kong Watch featured regularly in the Diplomat, Foreign Affairs Magazine, the Financial Times, the Spectator, the Times Redbox, Apple Daily, and the Wall Street Journal.

HKW has also created a youtube interview series titled ‘in conversation with Benedict Rogers’ which has featured a mixture of prominent pro-democracy activists and international policymakers discussing the situation in Hong Kong, including: Martin Lee, Nathan Law, Emily Lau, Ted Hui, Jimmy Lai, Miriam Lexmann MEP, Stephen Kinnock MP, Jung Hoon-Lee, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Bill Browder, Derek Mitchell, and Ambassador Sam Brownback.

We have briefed more than 200 parliamentarians alongside leading pro-democracy activists in the last year spanning the UK, USA, Canada, EU, Germany, Australian and New Zealand.

We coordinated 3 open letters signed by parliamentarians on Magnitsky sanctions (UK & Canada, 4 parliamentary letters on freeing 12 HK Youths (UK, Canada, EU, & International), 1 UN Special Rapporteur letter on creation of a UN Special Rapporteur/Envoy for Hong Kong, and 1 international letter on the National Security Law.

HKW gave evidence to the Canada-China Relations Committee in the Canadian Parliament, the Senate Judiciary Committee in the US Congress, and to the Home Affairs Select Committee in the UK Parliament.

Working with allies in the European Parliament, we helped draft 3 urgency resolutions on Hong Kong, ensuring that our core campaigns on sanctions, extradition, lifeboat, and the UN Special Rapporteur were included.

We held 6 webinars and 3 in person events in 2020 covering the launch of our ‘Why Hong Kong Matters’ Report, BNO, Magnitsky sanctions, and a joint-event with the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales, as well as a number of private briefings between pro-democracy activists and parliamentarians, policymakers, and diplomats.