Hong Kong primary schools lost 19,280 pupils to UK emigration wave, making it hardest-hit among city’s education sector

Hong Kong primary schools have been hit the hardest in the education sector by an emigration wave to the United Kingdom, with 19,280 children between the ages of six and 11 relocating to the country over the past 2½ years, according to official data.

A sector representative said the trend could be attributed to parents hoping to pave the way for their children to study at British universities with “home fee status”, which allowed them to pay local charges at tertiary institutions after obtaining permanent residency by living in the country for five years under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme.

The Post had asked the British Home Office for data showing the age group breakdown of BN(O) visas granted to Hongkongers to examine the impact of the scheme on different levels of the education sector.

Britain introduced the pathway to citizenship in January 2021 after Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in June of the previous year.

BN(O) migrants can apply for settled status after five years of qualifying residence, and after one year of settled status, they can apply for citizenship. Visa holders can study in UK public schools for free.

The Post earlier reported that a survey conducted by the UK government showed that education authorities in Birmingham had recorded the largest contingent of Hong Kong nursery and school pupils in the 2022-23 academic year.

The Home Office data provided on November 16 showed that the UK government had issued 147,716 BN(O) visas to Hongkongers between January 2021 and June 2023, of which 10,588 were granted to children aged five and below, 19,280 to those aged six to 11, as well as 10,079 among those aged 12 to 17 and another 3,016 to young adults aged 18 to 22.

The remaining 104,753 were granted to those aged 23 and above.