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6 months on for Hongkongers in Britain under BN(O) scheme – how are they doing and where are they now?
- For Hong Kong families who left for Britain, the difficulties started before they even left the city
- Once overseas, finding jobs and integrating into local communities has also been challenging, but families say they are making progress
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In December last year, nurse Mark Chan* left his job in Hong Kong and moved his family of four close to Derby, in the East Midlands region of Britain, following the imposition of the national security law.
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The decision was made out of fears of the erosion of freedoms in the city, as well as concerns about the content and direction of the city’s education system, says Chan, who holds a British National (Overseas) passport and took advantage of a new visa scheme granting millions of eligible Hongkongers a pathway to citizenship in the country.
Once in Britain, Chan, 43, and his wife, 42, both registered nurses, put their eight-year-old daughter in a local state school, while his 13-year-old son, unable to secure a place, is attending a private school that costs HK$53,000 (US$6,900) per term.
The family are renting a three-bedroom house for HK$9,600 a month.
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With both parents out of work, the Chans expect to live on their savings for about a year until they can sit the British licensing exams next year to become nurses for the National Health Service (NHS).
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