Hong Kong bookstore owner Lam Wing-kee is seeking political asylum in Taiwan. However, Taiwan currently lacks a legal procedure to grant him a permanent stay. Still, the government has granted him a three-month extension as his current visa comes close to expiring.

Lam Wing-kee is the owner of Causeway Bay books, a Hong Kong store best known for selling publications banned in China. He has been detained in China and remains a wanted person for “selling books illegally.” Lam has been in Taiwan since April 2019, and he is seeking political asylum as Hong Kong considers allowing extraditions to China.

However, Taiwan lacks formal refugee laws, and so Lam’s status here is uncertain. He first entered Taiwan on a one-month visa, which was then extended for two months. The National Immigration Agency has since extended his visa again until October 25^th.

Lam says he could leave Taiwan, but he’d much rather find a job and stay. More than anything, Lam wants to open up a local bookstore.

The Mainland Affairs Council says that it will handle Lam’s case humanely. Deputy head Chen Ming-chi says the council will even assist Lam with his bookstore ambitions.

Without procedures for refugees in place, the government can only handle asylum requests on an ad hoc case-by-case basis for now.