Half of BN(O) migrants struggle to find jobs that match their skills, but 99% have no plans to return to Hong Kong, study finds
- More than 2,000 Hongkongers who emigrated under British National (Overseas) visa programme surveyed on work, finances, emotional well-being
- While respondents have complaints about jobs and pay, nearly all say they have no plans of moving back to Hong Kong
Hongkongers who moved to Britain are struggling to find work that matches their skills, and those with jobs complain of being overqualified and underpaid, despite being more highly educated than locals, a study has found.
Despite the difficulties, BN(O) migrants had elected overwhelmingly to stay in the United Kingdom, with 99 per cent saying they had no plans to return to Hong Kong, the survey released on Wednesday said.
“The most authoritative study to date of newly arrived UK migrants from Hong Kong, published today finds that most Hongkongers feel welcomed in Britain and 99 per cent plan to stay permanently,” said the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers and British Future, which conducted the poll.
The study examined a plethora of aspects of the migrants’ lives, including their sense of belonging and feeling welcomed, financial pressures and their physical and emotional well-being.
The report found 36 per cent of respondents held a graduate degree and 23 per cent had a postgraduate one, compared with 34 per cent of degree holders among the wider British population.
Only 52 per cent of respondents aged 65 and under had landed a job, and 47 per cent of those said their employment did not match their skills and experience, or did so only to a small degree.
