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Hong KongPolitics

Hong Kong migrants facing difficulty settling into new lives in Britain to get more help from Catholic Church

  • Hong Kong church leader asked bishops in England and Wales to help migrants struggling with language, schools
  • London bishop says Hongkongers are ‘not refugees’ and can contribute much to church community

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Auxiliary bishop Paul McAleenan, chair of the migrant policy office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. Credit: Ambrose Leung
Ambrose Leung

The Catholic Church in Britain has pledged to do more to welcome and support Hong Kong immigrants following an appeal from church leaders in the former colony.

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Heads of 22 dioceses across England and Wales have been asked to anticipate the arrival of at least 130,000 Hongkongers taking up the British government’s offer of a new path to citizenship.
Thousands have applied to leave Hong Kong in the wake of the national security law imposed by Beijing in June last year. Britain, Canada and Australia are among the countries that criticised the sweeping law and offered Hongkongers new routes to migrate.

Auxiliary bishop Paul McAleenan, of the Westminster diocese in London, told the Post that for a start, Catholics have been asked to help introduce the newcomers to local doctors, help them find schools for their children and tell them about local shops.

Catholic groups stage a candlelight march in 2019 calling for the withdrawal of an extradition bill that would have allowed defendants to be tried on the mainland. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Catholic groups stage a candlelight march in 2019 calling for the withdrawal of an extradition bill that would have allowed defendants to be tried on the mainland. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
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The longer-term aim is to help Catholics from Hong Kong integrate into British life and the church community.

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