The Morrison government is offering a potential pathway to permanent residency for Hongkongers already in Australia.

The scheme allows visas holders in Australia to stay for five more years and a path to permanent residency.

Ted Hui, a former Democratic Party councillor who now lives in Australia, on Saturday called for the scheme to be expanded to people trying to escape Hong Kong.

"We Hong Kongers, as exiled politicians and exiles, expect more concrete actions," Mr Hui told AAP.

"To have lifeboat plans, because quite many young protesters and activists are in real danger of being locked up for decades, or for life, so they need a safe place to go to."

Activist group NSW Hongkongers held rallies in Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday to call for more federal government action.

A NSW Hongkongers spokesman said the current scheme doesn't really provide clarity about what happens after the five-year waiting period.

"There are quite a lot of uncertainties, after five years and expiry, whether they can stay here more longer term or get permanent residency," he told AAP.

"It's in doubt."

He said Kongkongers in Australia feared returning due to their political activities against the Chinese government.

NSW Hongkonger activists have taken to wearing masks to protests after being filmed and stalked, he said.

"You can just never imagine that, even in such a safe place, you still have to cover up your identity," he said.

Concerns have been growing about the suppression of Hong Kong's traditional freedoms after China imposed a new national security law last year.

The law has stifled the pro-democracy movement and raised concern about prospects for the autonomy Hong Kong was promised under a "one country, two systems" formula when it was handed over to China in 1997.

Mr Hui said Australians should recognise that the events in Hong Kong show the truth about China.

He said no one should believe the rhetoric about the Chinese government being committed to businesses, trade and non-interference.

"It's way deeper than just business," Mr Hui said.

"Hong Kong was running and operating perfectly, and the CCP was earning a lot of money from Hong Kong.

"It wants more than that, it wants to complete control."

Mr Hui said there wasn't much hope of immediate change, but the Hong Kong diaspora could provide a beacon to those still in the city.

"Hongkongers haven't given up at all, but we do need help from Western countries, he said.

"We do need to get organised as well, to preserve our identity so that our spirits can pass on to, perhaps, the younger generation, the next generation."

Australian Associated Press