Richmond immigrant consultants have seen a spike in inquiries from people looking to get out of China after the country’s strict zero-COVID strategy brought Shanghai, the epicentre of the country’s latest outbreak, to its knees.
Images of citizens in Shanghai screaming out of their windows in frustration, and seniors pleading for more food and medicine have many on WeChat questioning why the wealthiest city in China has been turned into a living hell.
Shanghai citizens have being barred from leaving their homes for more than three weeks and there is still no end in sight.
Richmond immigration consultant Lily Zheng told the Richmond News that immigration inquiries from China have skyrocketed over the last few days. Many people are interested in coming to Canada for a more stable, respectful and better life, she added.
Another immigrant lawyer Lu Qian confirmed he has also experienced an uptick in inquiries from Shanghai residents.
Qian, however, noted that most were only looking into the immigration processes but hadn’t submitted formal applications.
“More clients have shown an interest in coming to Canada, but they were just asking around,” said Qian.
Keyword searches related to immigration also spiked by 2,846 per cent from March 28 to April 3, according to data from Baidu, China’s largest search engine. (Google is banned in China.)
Canada, the United States and Australia were the top three countries shown in these searches.
Although some people may be desperate to leave the country, Qian said, many aren’t qualified to apply for immigration due to limited English skills.
Chinese authorities at first planned a phased lockdown in parts of Shanghai on March 28, but the measure was extended. And with cases continuing to rise in the city, there are currently no plans to end it.
