China opens unofficial police stations in UK to chase people for their return

A family member of the man was asked to sit next to the Chinese authorities in China during the call – a move that could be interpreted as a thinly veiled threat.

Other examples of possible extortion listed by Safeguard Defenders include authorities threatening to cut off electricity to families’ homes or restrict access to public schools for relatives.

Chinese government ‘dodging lawsuits’

By using police “service stations” rather than following formal extradition procedures, “the Chinese government is managing to avoid the growing scrutiny of its human rights record”.

It also avoids the difficulties faced in getting “refugees” back through legal proceedings, the Safeguard Defenders report said.

“It leaves legal Chinese residents abroad fully exposed to extra-judicial targeting by the Chinese police, with little or none of the protection theoretically guaranteed under both national and international law,” it added.

When contacted by phone by The Telegraph, an employee from one of the police’s “service centers” in London said the organization can help overseas Chinese renew their Chinese driving licenses and arrange necessary health checks for documents.

Some of the community associations that run the police centers are linked to the United Front Work Department, an agency 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 describes as “a massive nationwide campaign to combat the growing problem of fraud and telecommunications 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 prosecution in China.

Most of the cases were linked to wire fraud in Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries.

The Home Office said any request to repatriate suspected foreign criminals must be made in accordance with UK and international law. Illegal repatriation efforts will not be tolerated, it added.