Canada's strict border closures shut out Hong Kong asylum seekers even as interest spikes

Hong Kong's new security law has prompted a sharp uptick in inquiries from families looking to relocate to Canada, but Ottawa's strict COVID-19 border control measures are making it nearly impossible to get in, immigration lawyers said. Admissions of new permanent residents from Hong Kong jumped 75.7% in January and February 2020 compared to the previous year, as Beijing's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters escalated. Beijing imposed the legislation on Hong Kong this week despite protests from Hong Kongers and Western nations, setting China's freest city and a major financial hub on a more authoritarian track.