The “British Hong Kong Overseas Chinese Association”, founded by the former staff of the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, Cheng Man-kit, released a research report, which found that as many as 80% of the respondents plan to immigrate to the UK within two years, and projected that by the end of next year, there will be more than 520,000 Hong Kong people applying for British National Overseas Passport (BNO) visas, a figure much higher than the UK’s official forecast.
The British Hong Kong Overseas Chinese Association (BOCA) released the “Hong Kong People Coming to Britain Study Report” on the 11th and held a press conference. The Association’s Chairman, Kevin Cheng, pointed out that through its Facebook page, which has over 9,000 followers, as well as its Telegram channel, Twitter page and interpersonal network, the Association reached out to a wide range of Hong Kong people, interviewed them, collected information and completed this study.
According to the report, almost all respondents’ desire to emigrate was motivated by the belief that they would no longer enjoy safety and freedom after the passage of the Hong Kong National Security Law; and the vast majority of respondents continued to fear that their personal safety would be threatened by the Chinese or Hong Kong governments if they emigrated to the UK.
Based on the findings of the study, the Association recommends that the British government exclude those with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party or specific individuals such as Hong Kong officials and police officers from applying for BNO visas.
According to the report, the purpose of the study is to explore the potential demand for Hong Kong immigrants in the UK and the challenges they may encounter, and to provide policy recommendations to the UK government. The data collection time was from September 2 to October 1 this year, and a total of 315 Hong Kong people who are considering emigration were interviewed, 84% of whom are still in Hong Kong.
In the press conference, the British Hong Kong Overseas Chinese Association Public Affairs Researcher Dr. Yang analysis: “The respondents as a whole young, highly educated people, the average age of 37 years old, 71% have a university degree, 74% have a job, their average annual salary up to 33,000 pounds, than the median annual income of Hong Kong people in 2019 higher than 52%. “However, there are still a few economically disadvantaged young Hong Kongers with low or no income among those surveyed.
Dr. Yeung pointed out that these Hong Kong people “they are coming to the UK, and they are coming very fast! Up to 80% of respondents will leave Hong Kong within two years, and 93% plan to apply for a BNO visa. As soon as applications open next January, 45% will apply. “The vast majority of these applicants will be able to afford the application fees themselves, as well as living expenses for six months after arriving in the UK; but there are still 16% of respondents who cannot afford it, and most of them are economically disadvantaged young people.
As for the reasons for emigration, up to 96% of respondents responded that they are worried about the increased risk to their own security after the passage of Hong Kong’s national security law; however, even if they emigrate to the UK, 90% of respondents are still afraid that activities supported by China or the Hong Kong government will threaten their personal safety or interests in the UK; more than 60% of respondents are also worried that Chinese government agents, informants or former Hong Kong officials and police officers will infiltrate British society and endanger the safety of Hong Kong people in the UK.
Therefore, 45% of the respondents coincidentally suggested that the BNO policy should exclude those who may harm the UK’s national security and the safety of Hong Kong people in the UK from obtaining visas; and should be expanded to include those Hong Kong people who are not currently eligible to apply, but who deserve to be protected. For example, young people born after ’97 whose parents are eligible for BNO visas but do not wish to apply.
Julian Chan, Head of Public Affairs at the Association, advised the UK government to prepare for the impending high demand for BNO applications and immigration from Hong Kong as early as possible. He pointed out that according to the data from the respondents of the study, it is estimated that more than 520,000 Hong Kong people will apply for BNO visas by the end of 2021, which is 86% higher than the Home Office’s estimate of 279,000. He suggested that the Home Office should reserve sufficient civil service manpower in all departments to cope with the situation, and promote the relevant private enterprises, as well as the British public awareness of the possible impact of the BNO policy on British society; in addition, it should also improve the support system to help a small number of economically disadvantaged Hong Kong youth to settle in the UK.
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