The number of Chinese trying to escape their homeland has increased dramatically over the past decade. It was over 120,000 in the first half of 2023 alone. Population – According to UN data. Most of them seek refuge in the United States, often trying to reach it via the extremely dangerous land route, CNN reports, writing about the “astounding trend.”
According to United Nations data, the number of people wanting to leave China has been increasing rapidly in recent years. In the first half of 2023 alone, over 120,000. Chinese citizens have applied for political asylum all over the world. By comparison, ten years ago, in 2013, fewer than 25,000 people applied for asylum. Chinese.
Chinese are fleeing to America
As CNN points out, the destination of people emigrating from China is mainly one country – the United States. It's a country where 95,000 people tried last year. Chinese, meaning roughly 80 percent of all who left China. Many of them are also illegal. In the first 11 months of 2023, US law enforcement detained a total of 31,000 people. Chinese citizens attempting to illegally cross the Mexico-US border. The CNN website rates this as an “astounding trend”, as only 1,500 people were detained at the same border on average in the previous decade. People from China per year. It is 20 times more.
At the same time, however, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Chinese citizens are one of the largest groups that ultimately successfully apply for asylum in the United States. 13 percent of those who received asylum in 2022 came from China.
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Migration to America
The migration patterns of Chinese citizens to the United States vary greatly. Those who have means, passport and visa can board the flight. However, many do not have such opportunities, so many are forced to try to get to America in a more complicated way.
A popular route goes through Ecuador, Colombia and further north. Chinese citizens do not need a visa to fly to Ecuador, from where they arrange their own travel and travel through South and Central America. It's a long and dangerous road, but it's the cheapest option available. According to CNN estimates, at least 5,000 people are required to travel the route. dollars, (equivalent to approximately PLN 20,000). Spending twice this amount, the entire route can be handed over to local smugglers to arrange. In turn, with PLN 20,000 spendable Chinese dollars (roughly equivalent to PLN 80,000), they can choose the more convenient and faster route through Japan and straight to Mexico.
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Why do Chinese people leave China?
CNN believes that the government of current President Xi Jinping, who has been China's leader since 2013, is the main reason for such a rapid increase in the number of Chinese citizens leaving their homeland. CNN's correspondents mention, among other things: extreme restrictions and lockdowns in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the ruling party's “increasingly tight control” of all aspects of life. Many citizens lost their jobs because of these reasons, and many became disillusioned with the Communist Party's rule.
As the New York Times opined in a recent op-ed, the mass flight of Chinese from their homelands is a “referendum on fate” for Xi Jinping. The diary also describes the fate of the few who managed to reach America. “In Xi's China, anyone can be a target of the state. If you're a Christian, a Muslim, a Uyghur, a Tibetan or a Mongolian, you can get into trouble,” the American newspaper asserted. ” or “forbidden book” – especially if you are a member of the Chinese Communist Party.
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Main photo source: Mark R. Cristino/EPA/PAB
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