Under the political pressure and economic challenges in China, some Chinese people are forced to flee the mainland in search of a way out. Besides heading to the United States, Chinese people are now exploring a new route to Australia. Will they succeed?
Until this year, it was rare to hear about Chinese people smuggling into Australia by boat. “Before, it was mostly people from the Middle East,” Indonesian fisherman Abdul Pello told The Guardian. “Now it’s mainly people from the Middle East and China.” He mentioned that he hadn’t been involved in smuggling operations for Chinese nationals for ten years and found the influx of Chinese migrants peculiar.
With Indonesia opening visa on arrival for Chinese citizens this year, a route to Australia through Indonesia has started to take shape. Many Chinese individuals are using the visa on arrival in Indonesia to travel to Bali, Jakarta, Sulawesi, as well as neighboring countries East Timor, Brunei, or Malaysia, crossing borders to meet with smugglers, and finally reaching Australia by boat.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), as of May, at least three groups of Chinese nationals have already attempted or planned to travel by boat through Indonesia to Australia.
In March 2024, fifteen Chinese nationals flew to Bali with tourist visas, inquiring with local fishermen in Kupang about how to reach Australia, but they were reported and sent back to China.
In April, ten Chinese individuals set sail from Indonesia, entered the Western Australian border, and walked to an air force base seeking asylum. This marked the first time in twelve years that Chinese citizens entered Australia by boat.
On May 8th, another group of Chinese stowaways attempting to sail to Australia was intercepted by Indonesian authorities. The fishing boat carried six Chinese men, including a suspected human trafficker.
ABC reported on December 12 that a fishing boat dropped off four asylum seekers from China near Cobourg Peninsula in northwest Australia.
These four Chinese men likely departed from Kupang or nearby regions, with at least one individual hailing from Henan’s Luohe. One man told a ranger that each of them had paid $6,000 to reach Australia.
The situation of Chinese people seeking a way out due to political pressures and economic challenges in China is called “runxue” (escaping study).
Some financially capable Chinese individuals choose to immigrate to Western countries like Europe, the US, Japan, or South Korea through legal channels, while others may opt for Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand or Malaysia.
There is also a growing number of Chinese people seeking political asylum abroad. According to data released by the United Nations Refugee Agency, the number of Chinese people seeking political asylum overseas was 104,248 in 2019, 108,071 in 2020, and 118,476 in 2021.
The number of Chinese nationals seeking asylum in the UK increased from 798 in 2012 to 2,384 in 2023. In 2022, when travel restrictions were eased during the pandemic, the number peaked at 2,747.
Australian government data shows that over the past five years, the number of asylum applications from China exceeds that from any other country, with 1,500 Chinese nationals applying for asylum in just the previous fiscal year. Most of them arrive in Australia by plane, and only about 8% of asylum seekers are permitted to stay.
In the past five years, a total of 3,555 Chinese students in Australia have applied for political asylum, far exceeding students from any other country, and this number continues to rise.
Dr. Lin Song, a political science Ph.D. at the University of New South Wales, spoke to Epoch Times, stating that due to the current political and economic pressures in China, his friends in mainland China are trying every means to escape and come to Australia via different methods.
He mentioned that some individuals are using student visas, work visas, or tourist visas to first come to New Zealand and then find a way to stay in New Zealand or proceed to Australia. These individuals are not considered boat people or refugees.
Dr. Lin Song highlighted that in the past, there were some people who came by boat, but not many from mainland China; other nationalities were more common. Coming by boat is risky as it involves floating at sea, and reaching Australia is also a challenge.
Since the end of 2021, there has been a sharp increase in the number of Chinese citizens using the route through Mexico to reach the US. However, this route seems to have lost its effectiveness after Trump’s election.
Chinese student Zhang Ai’ern from the University of Sydney expressed that many people had plans to go through the US route before, but in the past half year, this route has been mostly cut off. Many individuals are being deported from Mexico, and some South American countries have stopped visa-free entry for Chinese nationals. Coupled with the prospect of Trump’s victory, going through the US route is becoming less feasible.
Zhang analyzed that the situation in Europe is even more challenging as there are virtually no countries close to Europe that offer visa-free entry for Chinese nationals. Additionally, language barriers in Europe would pose greater obstacles for Chinese individuals aiming to settle there.
“Basically, Australia has become one of the few viable options, especially with the tightening of Australian tourist visas. If someone can’t obtain a visa to come to Australia, taking a boat might be an option.”
In an interview with ABC in April, Mr. Li and Mr. Zhang, who successfully sailed to Australia, had never met in person before boarding in Jakarta. They had been exploring ways to leave China through platforms like Xiaohongshu (Red) and Douyin (TikTok) and found an advertisement about migrating to Australia illegally in the comments section and subsequently joined a chat group.
“We then found that many people wanted to come to Australia, but their visa applications were rejected,” said Mr. Li.
For Mr. Li, smuggling to Australia by boat was a last resort. He previously ran a small business in a northern Chinese city but suffered substantial losses due to strict “zero-COVID” policies. After the lockdown was lifted, he went bankrupt and accumulated substantial debts.
He shared that since Xi Jinping began his third term as the Communist Party leader, the intensified social controls in China made him disheartened. “I found life in China too stressful, with no freedom. I want to come to Australia because it’s more humane and free here.”
Unlike going through the US route, taking the boat route to Australia may be fraught with risks for Chinese immigrants.
In 2013, Australia implemented the military-led “Operation Sovereign Borders,” which means that even if someone successfully lands in Australia and applies for asylum, their right to stay in Australia would be automatically revoked.
Dr. Lin Song pointed out that Chinese mainlanders taking boats to Australia might be under the misconception promoted by smugglers that reaching Australia by boat is easy due to it being a large island surrounded by oceans. However, Australia has strict refugee policies, and caught asylum seekers are often sent to Nauru, not considered part of Australia.
Zhang Ai’ern noted that although there is a long-standing existence of the Australia route, there has been a recent increase in attempts. However, many might not realize how stringent Australia’s refugee policies are, with Chinese nationals historically having less than a 10% chance of securing refugee visas, often maintaining at 2% to 3%.
He believed that Australia might temporarily become a new destination on the escape route for now, but practically speaking, very few will succeed. The areas in the Northern Territory and Western Australia that the refugee boats can reach are heavily monitored at the border, with coast guard patrols at sea. Even if one manages to land in Australia, upon discovery, they would be directly sent to refugee camps for processing and unless granted refugee status, they would either remain in the camps or be deported.
Regarding the four Chinese individuals who smuggled to Australia in November, Ian Rintoul from the Refugee Action Coalition informed ABC that these men would either be sent to the indefinite immigration detention center in Nauru or deported from Australia.
He mentioned, “The Australian government has a very flexible arrangement with the Chinese (Communist) government. Sending Chinese citizens back to China is a very easy process for the Australian government.”
Rintoul stated that many individuals sent to Nauru had practically no choice. “The tragedy is that they have no future, no certainty, and no possibility of resettling in a third country.”
In a recent statement, Australian Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke announced that these asylum seekers (Chinese nationals) would be “deported within 24 hours” of being apprehended in Australia. They have two options: either deportation or transfer to the offshore immigration detention center in Nauru.
Burke stated, “This continues the record of no successful people smuggling to Australia for many years.”
In 2012, Qian Xiquan, who successfully landed in Australia by sailing and obtained legal status, mentioned to Epoch Times that the Australian government has amended laws prohibiting all forms of illegal immigration. Consequently, this route has essentially been sealed off.
He noted that these individuals might be unaware of Australian laws; while smugglers may consider getting you onto Australian land a success, there remains the undisclosed legal process. Even if one smuggles in and applies for asylum, it’s done offshore, and if approved, they are resettled in a third country, previously heard to be Cambodia. This process may be unfamiliar to these individuals.
“Moreover, Australia has heightened measures against those working illegally here. Employers would be penalized and sentenced if caught hiring undocumented workers, so it is indeed a challenging time.”
Qian anticipated that while the new Australian route might be difficult to succeed in, there will likely be risk-takers. The scale is unlikely to compare to the US route: firstly, the fees are high, secondly, there is a risk to life, and thirdly, even if one makes it, they will be detained and resettled in a third country.
He pointed out that in the future, Chinese citizens will explore other routes to escape the Chinese regime, as it’s clear that some people have become desperate and are left with no choice but to flee.
“The employment and economic situation domestically is extremely severe. Finding work isn’t just about getting a job; it’s about survival. Many people are struggling in China now. Anyone with a bit of insight can see how increasingly evil the Chinese Communist regime is becoming. Escaping early might be the only path to survival.”
“Who would be willing to take the risk and make such a desperate move, risking their lives to go through this path, they have no choice.” he said.
The Guardian reported that the failed attempts at smuggling to Australia haven’t deterred everyone. A Chinese resident commented on a video about the Australia route on TikTok: “I’ve reached the end, and I can’t hold on anymore. I want to go; I really want to go.”
In another post, a resident of Jiangsu replied to a video seeking human traffickers. He wrote, “Sign me up.”