Other examples of potential extortion cited by Safeguard Defenders are authorities threatening to cut off electricity to families at home or restricting access to public schools for relatives.
Chinese government ‘dodging legal proceedings’
By using police “duty” stations instead of following formal extradition procedures, the Chinese government is “managing to avoid increasing scrutiny of its human rights record.” It also avoids the difficulties faced by returning “fugitives” through legal processes, the Safeguard Defenders report says. “It leaves legal Chinese residents abroad fully exposed to extrajudicial targeting by the Chinese police, with little or no protection theoretically guaranteed by both national and international law,” he added. Contacted by The Telegraph by phone, a worker from one of the police’s “service centers” in London said the organization can help overseas Chinese extend Chinese driving licenses and arrange the required health checks for documents. Some of the community associations that operate the police centers are affiliated with the United Front Labor Department, an organ of the Chinese Communist Party that seeks to influence the Chinese diaspora. The “110 overseas gas stations” are just one aspect of what the non-profit organization describes as “a massive national campaign to combat the growing issue of fraud and wire fraud by Chinese nationals living abroad.” As part of this effort, Chinese authorities claim that between April 2021 and July 2022 they “persuaded” 230,000 nationals to return to face criminal proceedings in China. Most of the cases were related to telecom fraud in Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries. The Home Office said any requests to repatriate suspected foreign criminals must be made in accordance with UK and international law. Attempts at illegal repatriation will not be tolerated, he added.
