“In 1997, a large number of Hong Kong people emigrated overseas, fearing the development after the transfer of sovereignty. In 1997, a large number of Hong Kong people were concerned about the development of overseas migration after the handover of sovereignty. It was not until 2019 that the word “migration wave” once again came into the public eye after Hong Kong’s “anti-sending” campaign.
After the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries relaxed the conditions for Hong Kong people to move to the region, and the number of inquiries received by immigration companies multiplied. According to a survey conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, 15% of the population has already prepared to emigrate.
Many families are more determined than ever to leave, given Hong Kong’s unstable political environment and the shifts in its education system.
Xiaofu, 50, is one of those middle-class fathers who is pessimistic about the future of Hong Kong and has decided to emigrate. Looking back on his life, he laments the fact that he had to emigrate twice.
He used to attend elementary school in Mainland China and immigrated to Hong Kong with his family from Fujian province about 40 years ago. Today, his husband is a successful businessman and head of the family, but he is preparing to emigrate from Hong Kong to the UK with his wife and two middle school children. His case can be described as a microcosm of the immigration stories of many Hong Kong families.
Before the handover of Hong Kong’s sovereignty, he felt that China was becoming stronger and stronger, and had great expectations for the future of Hong Kong with “one country, two systems.
However, Hong Kong has experienced a series of political turmoil, and the IT professional was disappointed with the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, and finally decided to emigrate. At one point, he considered Taiwan as a place to emigrate, but his background of being born in mainland China and working for a Chinese company made the choice to emigrate to Taiwan not so easy.
Xiaofu had also thought that not applying for BNO back then might have been a wrong decision. After the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, the UK relaxed the immigration rules for Hong Kong BNOs, allowing BNOs to immigrate to the UK unconditionally with their immediate family members, and if the young couple is a BNO, their family can immigrate to the UK and become British citizens after 6 years of residence.
Why are Hong Kong families competing to immigrate?
When I was a child, I followed my family from Fujian to Hong Kong, spoke no Cantonese, scored zero marks in dictation, and it took me about half a year to integrate into Hong Kong life.
Since the handover of Hong Kong’s sovereignty in 1997, the city has weathered numerous political storms. For example, in 2003, 500,000 people took to the streets to overturn 23 draft laws related to national security, and in 2012, Huang Zhifeng’s high school student group called for a mass protest to overturn the Hong Kong government’s proposal to implement national education in schools.
That was a time when the Hong Kong government would respect public opinion, he says: “They were not so monolithic, they would say whatever they wanted, and when Hong Kong people spoke out, they would still listen.”
What really made Xiaofu’s first idea to emigrate was the 8.31 decision announced by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing on August 31, 2014, before the Hong Kong Occupy movement broke out. It was made clear that universal suffrage for the election of the Chief Executive was predicated on the selection of candidates by a nominating committee of more than 1,000 people. Although the Hong Kong government claims that these 1,000-plus people are “broadly representative,” this is far from the demands of the private sector.
I knew there was no way out between China and Hong Kong after 8.31 fell through the gates,” says Xiaofu. “That was the beginning of the Communist Party tearing the mask off, because Beijing started to have a one-voice system, and they didn’t care about the opinions of Hong Kong people when they made decisions.
“In the past I thought one country, two systems would work and we Hong Kong people would have universal suffrage, but today we all know that one country, two systems is a lie, the Communist Party’s promises will not be kept and there is no expectation for the regime.”
After the Occupy movement broke out and the social movement went into a nadir, the idea of raising a family to emigrate remained just a concept, buried in the heart. In the years that followed, Xiaofu became aware of the Hong Kong government’s policies, “increasingly inclined to please the mainland. From the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the high-speed railway, to the large-scale reclamation project of “Lantau Island of Tomorrow” launched by the Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s government, to China’s active establishment of the Greater Bay Area living circle in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, Xiaofu believes that these are not the same as the policies of the Hong Kong government.
It’s not about what Hong Kong people want, it’s about using taxpayers’ money to get bids from mainland companies or big business.
In 2019, the controversy surrounding the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, the Hong Kong people taking to the streets in protest, and then the heated police-community clashes on June 12, witnessed all this, Xiaofu feels that the fuse of “must go” has been lit.
“I especially remember when they shot a teacher in the eye, I went home and immediately recorded the footage online.
Like many in the pro-democracy camp, he took an “understanding” attitude toward the demonstrators’ actions, still targeting the police.
“I tried to drive my son to school and suddenly a young man came out and set up a roadblock, he was about my child’s age and in high school.
Xiaofu admits that he is a “Peaceful Nonprofit” protester, has attended large marches, donates money to support the movement, and supports the Yellow Shop (a pro-demonstration camp store), “Honestly, I have a lot of young and old people in my family, and I work for a Chinese company, I actually can’t do anything.
In July 2020, the National Security Law will be implemented in Hong Kong. In July 2020, the National Security Law was implemented in Hong Kong, and from then on, no more pro-independence rhetoric could be heard in Hong Kong, and the protesters’ chanting of the slogan “Glorious Hong Kong” was seen as an indication of Hong Kong’s independence.
In the past, Xiaofu would actively share political content on social media, but after the National Security Law came into effect, he chose to silence himself.
“I’ve restricted my freedom of speech, but I believe it will be much better when I come to the U.K. I can speak my mind freely,” he said.
In fact, he and his family have never been to the United Kingdom, but he believes that Hong Kong was a British colony, that there are similarities in systems, and that the family will be able to adapt quickly.
Xiao Fu expects it will take six months to two years to find a job due to the epidemic, but his preliminary estimate is that he will be able to find a job in a related field, but with a much lower salary than in Hong Kong.
“The worst-case scenario is to cut grass in a garden or work as a bus driver.” He doesn’t rule out the possibility of coming back after citizenship.
He doesn’t rule out the possibility of coming back to Hong Kong after citizenship, not necessarily retiring in the UK: “Having a foreign passport is an extra layer of security, so you can leave if something big happens in Hong Kong or if a foreigner evacuates. This protection is also for the next generation.”
Miao Xiaotong, founder of the Hong Kong-based immigration company “British Immigration”, told the BBC in Chinese that since the United Kingdom has relaxed its policies, it is not limited to the middle class or professionals who can immigrate, and there is a trend of younger people inquiring about their companies.
She generally recommends that people considering moving to Hong Kong visit the area to get a better understanding of the situation before making a decision, but due to the epidemic, it is difficult for clients to do so.
The New Wave of Immigration to Hong Kong
There are no official statistics available to estimate the new wave of immigration to Hong Kong. However, when Hong Kong people apply for immigration or foreign studies, some of them may need to apply to the Hong Kong police for a certificate of no criminal record, commonly known as a “Certificate of Good Citizenship”, which serves as a reference.
Since last June, the number of applications for the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction has hovered at a high level, with more than 2,000 to 3,000 applications processed each month.
According to a telephone survey conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in September this year, 15% of the citizens interviewed have been preparing for emigration in the near future, and about 43.9% of the citizens interviewed said they would plan to emigrate or move to other countries if they had the chance, with the most cited reason being “dissatisfaction with government policies, the SAR government or the Chief Executive”. The most common destinations considered were the United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, and Canada.” Among those who are interested in emigrating, the top destinations considered are the United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan and Canada.
In the past, if these people want to study or work, they have to apply for a visa. Recently, the British media were quoted as saying that the British Foreign Office estimated that 200,000 Hong Kong people may emigrate to the region in the future.
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, said in an interview with the South China Morning Post that she was not responsible for the wave of immigration that occurred in Hong Kong. If more people decide to leave Hong Kong permanently, it is a personal choice, but I hope that those people can objectively examine the situation and think about “whether they want a Hong Kong like last year, or whether they want to see a Hong Kong that is still stable, prosperous and moving forward? “
“Since last year’s outbreak of social events, the number of immigration inquiries has increased. Whenever a major event occurs, such as the release of the National Security Act, or when countries relax their immigration policies, the number of inquiries increases. This past year has been an “exaggerated year” in terms of numbers, causing companies to hire additional staff to cope with the demand, sometimes attracting tens of thousands of viewers with live streaming of immigration seminars on social media.
“In the past, a lot of people were just inquiring, but last year, half of the people who called decided to leave, and they probably just wanted to know when to leave, and they were thinking about very practical things, and the next day the National Security Act called and asked if they could leave immediately. They’re very decisive, they make decisions quickly, and some of them are actually leaving already,” she said.
“A ‘bare bones’ education system
The company’s main business is the development of a new generation of children’s education, which is the primary consideration for immigrants.
The wave of dropouts from Hong Kong’s predominantly middle-class local schools reflects the beginning of the “immigrant wave”. Heep Yunn High School, a traditional girls’ school, admitted that about 30 students dropped out this semester, and the school said most of them were related to immigration and transfer. The school believes that social instability affects whether parents let their children stay in Hong Kong, but does not comment on whether they are affected by the National Security Law.
In an interview with the media, Hong Kong education legislator Ip Kin-yuen said that the National Security Law has caused social unrest, and he did not rule out the possibility that parents and students will be more inclined to leave. However, the pro-establishment camp sees things differently. According to a survey conducted by the Federation of Education Unions, schools with more cross-border students have seen a wave of dropouts, and some parents on the mainland choose to drop out for fear of social instability and the impact of the epidemic on their learning progress.
Xiaofu said frankly that his children’s education is an important factor in his consideration of emigration. He said that he was educated in mainland China and believes that the emphasis on “patriotism” in Chinese education is actually a kind of “brainwashing”, which may not have the opportunity to be exposed to the full truth. He does not want the next generation to receive an education that does not value independent critical thinking, as he did when he was a child.
The education sector in Hong Kong is facing a major reform, and the Hong Kong government has shifted the blame for the social movement going out of control to the liberal studies subject that trains students to think critically. The Education Bureau has announced sweeping reforms that will change the name of the subject from a grading system to a pass/fail system, and will review the content of general studies textbooks.
At the same time, a number of teachers have been stripped of their teaching positions for political statements or teaching materials discussing “Hong Kong independence” issues, and some university lecturers have been verbally assaulted by pro-Beijing media for their pro-democracy views.
“It feels like the education system in Hong Kong is already red, teachers will be prosecuted and DQ’d for writing things on Facebook, and when it comes to political issues, if you’re pro-government, you’re on the rise, and if you’re against the government, you’re being targeted.”
“It can be said that the Hong Kong education system advocates patriotism and underestimates critical thinking, the Hong Kong government wants students to go to the mainland for national studies, he wants to brainwash you to be patriotic, but if you don’t accept his way of thinking and have a different kind of values, you will have a hard time and it will be harder to express your opposition, I don’t want children to live in this kind of education system.”
Xiaofu said that the biggest difference between Hong Kong and mainland China currently has the freedom of information on the Internet, Hong Kong students can still find different opinions on the Internet ideas, but now in some schools in Hong Kong, more children speak Mandarin than Cantonese, they are more likely to use social media and websites under the censorship mechanism of the mainland, “the next generation, I really do not know whether they will turn little pink. “
Reluctance of the child
My husband moved to Hong Kong from mainland China when he was a child, so his own experience made him not worry that his children would have problems adjusting overseas. But his eldest son, who was in high school, initially resisted the decision to emigrate, not only because he did not miss his classmates and friends, but also because he was reluctant to leave the democracy movement in Hong Kong.
His eldest son’s political stance was evident in the fact that although he was not a member of the front line of the “anti-sending to China” movement, he had published literature in support of the protesters’ camp. Like many young people in Hong Kong, he fears that emigrating would mean that he would no longer be able to participate personally in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
“Many young people ask what’s the point of going to a foreign country, and some kids feel they have to stay in Hong Kong, and once they leave, Hong Kong will be gone,”
I said to him, “I told him, in fact, it is useless to stay in Hong Kong, there is no way to do it now, there is power without justice, a million people take to the streets is no achievement, you will be arrested for taking to the streets, this is a realistic problem, if you want to regain Hong Kong, go to the United Kingdom to finish university, and then consider coming back to Hong Kong.”
In the past, anti-immigration democrats would have argued that leaving Hong Kong would make them less likely to march and vote, but after the Hong Kong police tightened restrictions on marches and rallies, and the mass disqualification of legislators and candidates, it’s harder to convince people to stay.
So has Xiaofu given up on the democracy movement in Hong Kong? He replied, “There is a little bit of it, actually I don’t know, I can’t see through.”
Hong Kong’s future I am pessimistic, I don’t have any hope, the real “one country, two systems” will not exist, I am completely disillusioned, I don’t have any expectation of the regime, Hong Kong will gradually deteriorate, and eventually become an ordinary city in the Bay Area,” he said, “Now it feels like a difficult journey, maybe just a little bit better than a difficult journey! .”
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