Thank you.
Thank you for those questions. Regarding the number of deportations and the persuasion to return operations that we've been able to link directly to some of these stations, that number is 83. That is the anecdotal evidence that we found linked to three of the jurisdictions. One of those includes, notoriously, even video evidence put online by the Chinese authorities demonstrating how such an operation took place in a station in Madrid. We know that there have been at least 83, according to the authorities.
Are these establishments a bigger threat than, for example, the operations Fox Hunt and Sky Net? Fox Hunt and Sky Net, according to the last numbers given by the CCDI in October 2022, have netted over 11,000 successful operations between 2014 and October 2022. Successful operations means that more individuals can be included for each of those operations.
I don't think the stations are necessarily a bigger threat. They're all part of the same pattern. I think what's important in them, though, is that these stations are directly linked to the United Front Work Department. The individuals and associations linked to them are manning these stations and may be engaged in transnational repression activities that go much wider than the extreme end of persuasion to return, but are also engaged in those influence operations. In that sense, they merit attention beyond what should be the focus of these persuasion to return operations.
What steps can be taken to stop co-opting by the United Front Work Department? I think in the first place it's publicly denouncing these activities and raising awareness not within the communities, because they know all too well what's going on, but within the wider society within the communities that may be targets of influence operations, be it political circles, academic circles, media, businessmen, and everyone who may be the target of those influence operations, and trying to promote people from the diaspora communities that are not linked to them and giving them a voice. I think for too long, for decades, the main interlocutors for officials and for many other private sector institutions have been exactly the people who are tied to these networks. We need to break that linkage. That will be a difficult and long process, and it will really take a whole-of-society effort, but it starts by very clear messaging about what's going on.
Your last question was on the municipal councillor. Now, obviously there's a presumption of innocence, so until investigations are concluded and we see what comes out of that....
To my knowledge, it is not necessarily common, but at Safeguard Defenders, we as an organization are looking at the global framework rather than single individuals or associations, so I may not be the best person to respond to that.