To mainland Chinese ‘Hong Kong drifters’, the allure of becoming a permanent resident in the city is fading
- Many northern migrants in the 20th century aspired to set up a life in the safe and prosperous enclave
- But in the 21st, changes on both sides of the border mean some are less keen to put down roots
Jia Jia is back in her hometown of Zhuji, Zhejiang province, for week-long Lunar New Year celebrations. She may not be able to help much with preparations — the traditional art of making savoury egg rolls is lost on her — but she has been looking forward to the firecrackers at her grandmother’s countryside home.
“It’s the most important time of the year,” says the 29-year-old, who wanted to be identified by her nickname.
Jia Jia works at a recruitment firm in Hong Kong and flies home once every two to three months. She moved to the city to pursue further studies in social work at Chinese University, believing the city offered better training and career prospects.
Having lived in the city for almost seven years, she will soon be eligible to apply for permanent residency. But she is hesitant.
“Hong Kong has never felt like home to me,” she says. “And being a Hongkonger isn’t a big deal to me.”
Poverty-stricken Chinese migrants who came to Hong Kong in the 20th century felt differently. As they peered through the dust of the Chinese civil war and the Cultural Revolution, the city – then a British colony – promised stability, prosperity and hope.
But the latest government data suggests the city might be losing its appeal. Hong Kong has just seen the biggest drop in a decade in the number of mainlanders entering with a one-way permit.
