The New Macau Association (ANM) is petitioning to oppose the government’s revision of the migration bill, which proposes to relax the requirements for temporary residency status.
Yesterday, the pro-democratic association launched “Civil Petition and One Person One Letter Campaign” to allow residents to voice their opinion to the government and the Legislative Assembly (AL).
The Standing Committee of the AL is currently reviewing the Legal Regime for Immigration Control, Residence and Residence Permits in the Macau SAR bill.
This bill will allow residency permit holders who come to Macau frequently and regularly for school, work, or business to be regarded as “habitually residing” in Macau, even if they are not staying overnight in Macau.
“The current proposal of the amendment will undoubtedly shake the foundation of the existing residency system,” the association stated.
“The government has never raised the issue of relaxing the requirements for residency in the public consultation held in 2018, nor has it been included in the bill submitted to the Legislative Assembly for general discussion this year,” it added.
The association also recalled that in July 2018, the Commission Against Corruption’s (CCAC) investigation report revealed flaws in the immigration application examination and approval process, especially the use of skilled or major investment immigration loopholes to obtain the right of residence by fraudulent means.
The report criticized the lack of stringency given that the authorities did not consider the length of time the applicants had stayed in Macau as a criteria for reviewing and approving their residency renewal applications, and for “pointing out the loopholes under which some applicants’ residency could be renewed even if they had not been in Macau for a long time,” ANM recalled.
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