The Consulate of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong (CGPMHK) has confirmed that they are receiving “a lot of requests” from Hong Kong citizens seeking information on Portuguese travel documents and other related requests.
The acknowledgment was made in response to a Times’ enquiry.
“It is confirmed that there have been many inquiries lately for Hong Kong resident citizens’ citizenship and residence visa applications,” the consulate said. The consulate added that an increase was also registered on the “demand for [Portuguese] citizens’ cards and passport renewals that have been expired for several years, many of them for 10 years or more.”
The Portuguese response confirms an idea that has been expressed by several sectors in the neighboring region.
A recent report from Hong Kong media outlet South China Morning Post (SCMP) noted that the growing frustration over the extradition bill and worries over the potential erosion of freedoms had led some Hong Kong residents to consider migrating.
In the same report, Portugal was identified as a potential gateway to Europe for many residents with family bonds in Macau and Hong Kong that would make it easier to access these documents.
According to information from the CGPMHK, such citizens can obtain Portuguese citizenship through attribution by the parents as long as one of their parents have Portuguese citizenship.
The SCMP report noted that the current protests over the extradition bill, as well the document itself, increasing living costs, growing numbers of tourists, and general frustrations and anxieties over the future of the SAR have all contributed to Hong Kong residents seeking options for a life away from their birthplace.
In the past, Hong Kong residents have been known to move to locations such as Taiwan, Canada, the United Kingdom or the U.S. This trend now appears to be changing, with more people considering less traditional locations.
Portugal is currently noted as one such option, not just due to the ease of relocation afforded by the family ties possessed by many residents of Macau, but also due to the Portuguese government policies that grant citizenship to individuals who invest in Portugal, known as “Golden Visas”.
The Golden Visa policy, in the first few years of implementation, has attracted mostly Chinese nationals so far.
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