A pro-democracy advocate asserts he possessed a valid visa and was not provided any explanation for his entry denial.
Published On 29 Sep 2025
Nathan Law, a prominent pro-democracy figure who escaped China’s intensified control over Hong Kong, revealed that despite holding a legitimate visa, he was refused entry upon arrival in Singapore. The incident occurred as he landed in the city-state to participate in a private, invitation-only gathering.
Law, a former legislator who left Hong Kong in 2020, was detained for several hours at the border before being sent back to the United States, specifically San Francisco, after spending roughly 14 hours in Singapore.
Currently residing in exile in the United Kingdom, Law expressed confusion over the lack of explanation for his denied entry. “Since I had a valid visa, I anticipated being allowed to enter. I suspect the refusal was politically motivated, though I cannot confirm if external influences, such as the Chinese government, played a direct or indirect role,” he told Al Jazeera, referencing the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Requests for comments from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority have yet to receive a response.
The Financial Times was the first to report on Law’s denied entry into Singapore.
As a cofounder of the political group Demosisto, Law was once a leading voice in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement until the introduction of a sweeping national security law in 2020, which effectively dismantled political opposition in the territory.
Since relocating abroad, Law has remained an outspoken advocate for democratic freedoms in Hong Kong and a critic of Beijing’s policies.
In 2023, Hong Kong authorities issued arrest warrants for Law and seven other activists, invoking the national security law’s provisions that permit prosecution for actions conducted beyond the city’s borders.
Once celebrated for its dynamic civil society and political pluralism, Hong Kong has seen a sharp decline in dissent following the enactment of the national security law. This legislation was introduced after widespread anti-government protests, which initially began peacefully but escalated into violent confrontations between masked demonstrators and police forces.
Since 2020, the government has dissolved opposition parties within the legislative council, shut down critical media outlets, and banned public commemorations of sensitive historical events, including the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident.
Both Beijing and Hong Kong officials defend these measures as necessary and proportionate responses to threats against national security and public order in the region.
