Sixty-three members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, also called the Mayflower Church, many of whom are children, have been detained in Thailand for allegedly overstaying their visas. The group which fled China in 2019, stayed for a time in South Korea before eventually seeking refuge in Thailand in 2022. Freedom Seekers International, a group based in Texas, is seeking to relocate the detainees to Texas but recently came across a new requirement which forces any Chinese citizens renewing passports to first go the Chinese Embassy. Deana Brown, CEO of Freedom Seekers said, “There was no way, because as soon as they walk into the Chinese Embassy they’re gone, we would not see them again. They’ve been hiding out since then.â€
