China operates a network of offices spanning 21 countries with a footprint that stretches across five continents. The reported goal is to pressure dissident Chinese immigrants into staying away from returning home. The account comes from a human rights NGO focused on safeguarding defenders, which has been echoed by international media. It notes a cluster of facilities in Europe, including locations in Spain and Portugal, and cites Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia among others as sites linked to the program.
Safeguard Defenders, a Madrid-based NGO composed of international researchers and activists, asserts that these offices are connected to the Chinese government. Their described function extends beyond routine administrative tasks, such as renewing driver licenses and handling civil procedures. The organization contends that these sites carry out what it calls we-persuade operations, aiming to bring critics back to China to face the regime.
There is growing global attention to the investigation into PRC overseas police stations. For more on China’s legal framework surrounding these operations and the stories of those pressured to return, see the cited material from Safeguard Defenders.
— Safeguard Defenders (保护卫士) on social media
As part of a broader national effort to address what authorities describe as a rising problem with foreign-based scams and fraud, reports indicate that tens of thousands of Chinese citizens living abroad were urged to return to face criminal investigations in China during a recent period. The initiative began around 2018 and has grown alongside the establishment of overseas service police posts, sometimes referred to as 110 Foreigners after the Chinese emergency number.
In the Netherlands, reports surfaced about a dissident who says he faced harassment from individuals claiming to represent these offices. He recalls being contacted with the request to return to China to address alleged issues and to consider his family’s situation. He also described a campaign of intimidation that he believes was orchestrated by state-backed actors. In response, the Dutch government indicated it was not informed of such operations via formal channels with China.
Dutch authorities are investigating reports of two secret Chinese police stations in the Netherlands. The Dutch Foreign Ministry described the facilities as illegal and noted concerns about how the government was kept in the loop. Officials discussed protecting individuals who might be targeted by these operations.
Safeguard Defenders estimates that by mid-2022 China had set up roughly 54 physical overseas stations in about 30 countries across five continents. This figure accompanies a broader observation that a number of these posts operate in conjunction with formal overseas service channels.
Media partners cited in the reporting documented additional stations and described the overall spread of these centers. The NGO provided photographs and details about the locations identified, while media teams cross-checked government and public communications to map the purported network.
“Chinese Galician”
Safeguard Defenders reports that among the nine identified illegal police stations in Spain, five are connected to a city district known for a significant Chinese immigrant population, with the remainder linked to another region that has become a central hub for Chinese migration into Galicia. A veteran journalist noted that the term Galicia is often associated with a strong immigrant presence in Spain.
Government statistics from 2021 show a Chinese community in Galicia numbering over three thousand, against Spain’s total population, with Galicia representing a notable share of the country’s regional diversity.
“Convince to go back”
Safeguard Defenders is a Madrid-based human rights group with leaders from diverse national backgrounds. Its origins trace back to a project created to support judicial reform and legal advocacy in China. The organization faced significant pressure during a crackdown on such initiatives, with many collaborators facing arrest or disappearance. A separate report discusses how Beijing has reportedly used coercive methods to prompt voluntary returns of individuals accused of fraud or other crimes, including pressure on families inside China. The group describes three main tactics: monitoring and pressuring relatives, online or in-person harassment by undercover agents, and, in some instances, abduction. These methods aim to compel targets to return to China to confront legal action or other consequences.