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Many young people from China who are in Canada on study visas are returning home because they’re feeling isolated and lonely and yearn to be with their families, says Burnaby immigration lawyer George Lee.

The departure from Canada of people on study, work and travel visas is just one of many signs that globalization, which promotes the free movement of goods and humans, is suffering a setback because of COVID-19, says Lee, who has frequently travelled to China to serve his clients.

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“They don’t feel safe here, if they’re alone without family members. Some want to be with family who are sick. It’s understandable. If I was alone in London right now, I would come back myself,” said Lee, noting the COVID-19 outbreak is making open borders and global mobility seem more of a threat than a benefit.

With both authoritarian and democratic governments taking extraordinary measures to reduce the international flow of trade and people to halt the spread of the virus, promoters of globalization say when the crisis abates they will have to work harder to convince the public of the benefits of open borders.