Safeguard Defenders’ latest report on involuntary returns of Chinese overseas nationals

28.1.2022

Question for written answer  E-000378/2022
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 138
Hilde Vautmans (Renew)

According to a report by Safeguard Defenders[1], since 2014 some 10 000 Chinese overseas nationals have been forced into returning to China using one of three types of coercion: threats to family back in China, targeting the individual overseas, or kidnapping. The report states that the operations are becoming more widespread and constitute a cornerstone in the expansion of China’s transnational repression, but that the phenomenon is little known in the West.

In light of the findings of this report:

• 1.Is the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) aware of these operations, which reportedly also take place in the EU?
• 2.What steps will the VP/HR take to ensure that these operations do not take place on European soil?

• [1] https://safeguarddefenders.com/sites/default/files/pdf/INvoluntary%20Returns.pdf