The Chinese government has increasingly imposed arbitrary restrictions on people’s internationally protected right to leave the country.

The Chinese government has increasingly imposed arbitrary restrictions on people’s internationally protected right to leave the country, Human Rights Watch said today.

Chinese authorities are requiring citizens from locales they broadly consider to be high risks for online fraud or “unlawful” emigration to submit additional paperwork and obtain approval from multiple government offices during passport application processes. Those not meeting these cumbersome requirements are often denied passports. The government has long restricted people’s access to passports in areas where Tibetans and Uyghurs predominantly live.

“While many Chinese citizens enjoy international travel, the right to leave China appears to be restricted for growing categories of people throughout the country,” said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities are going beyond existing restrictions on Tibetans and Uyghurs to limit the travel of people throughout China under the guise of anti-crime campaigns.”

All Chinese citizens can apply for “ordinary passports” (因私普通护照) with an identity card. However, in recent years, police agencies responsible for issuing passports have increasingly subjected applicants from dozens of locales to a more cumbersome process. This conclusion is based on official complaints filed by those affected as well as social media posts by residents, travel agents, and overseas employment agencies in those locales.

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  • @[email protected]
    -14•4 days ago

    high risks for online fraud or “unlawful” emigration

    So scammers and billionaires? Truly the most oppressed minorities.

    • @cm0002
      18•4 days ago

      There it is, I was wondering when the classic .ml Tankie shit takes would show up on this article.

      Just couldn’t bother reading the rest of the article huh?

      “While many Chinese citizens enjoy international travel, the right to leave China appears to be restricted for growing categories of people throughout the country,” said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities are going beyond existing restrictions on Tibetans and Uyghurs to limit the travel of people throughout China under the guise of anti-crime campaigns.”

      Ya know, I bet if this article had changed nothing else but replace “Chinese” with “US” .ml tankies would be raging against it LMAO

      • 利斯科M
        1•2 hours ago

        Bro everybody knows that ethnic minorities are terrorists

      • @JubilantJaguar
        -6•4 days ago

        You’re right, but this community suffers from chronic bias too, unfortunately. It’s literally all negative news about China.

        • @[email protected]
          2•4 days ago

          @[email protected]

          Feel free to change that.

          As you will know, there are an awful lot of communities here suffering from another chronic bias, unfortunately. They are negative about Western democracies. Maybe you want to help there, too.

          • @JubilantJaguar
            -1•4 days ago

            Fair point. I just see neutrality (or at least a good-faith attempt at it) as the best antidote to partisan bias, rather than inverse partisan bias. I know that this is not a fashionable position these days.