This content was originally published by Radio Free Asia, and it is now licensed for reprint.
More than 80 % of Hong Kongers who lately settled in the United Kingdom amid an ongoing , assault on social dissent , plan to stay entirely, despite significant challenges merging into British society, according to a new study.
More than 80 % of the 637 British citizens who responded informally to a survey by the campaign group Hongkongers in Britain said they “intend to permanently settle in the U.K.” More than 40 % said they” not considering going back to Hong Kong, despite the disadvantages they face in the U.K.”
More than 200, 000 Hong Kongers have applied to the American government’s lifeboat , British National Overseas , card program, which offers a way to permanent residency and subsequent citizenship, since the scheme’s launch in January 2021.
The authorities in Hong Kong followed the opposition movement’s exodus following two stringent’national security ‘ laws that forbid open criticism of the government or connections with foreign organizations and democracy activists in exile. Canada, Australia, and the United States are another well-known sites.
Yet life has n’t been easy, with more than 46 % forced to switch careers and 50 % reporting a salary cut since moving to the U. K., the survey found.
According to the study released on the website for Hong Kongers in Britain,” Hong Kong newcomers are experiencing higher than average levels of distress.” ” While the stress is not serious, it is significant enough to warrant problem”.
Rights groups last week , called on the American government , to further develop the , British National Overseas , visa scheme and slash their college tuition fees in response to the March 2024 section of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, commonly known as ,’ Article 23 ‘ policy, which followed the , 2020 National Security Law , in a further punch to the city ‘s , privileges.
Citing the continued danger of , surveillance, harassment and , violence , by agents and supporters of the Chinese state, the London-based group Hong Kong Watch said the American government should target the , deterioration of rights and freedoms , in Hong Kong, responding to the needs of BNO Hong Kongers living in the UK, and shield them from the threat of , international repression.
” High levels of loneliness”
Students and the unemployed reported the highest levels of loneliness, while Hong Kongers overall did n’t appear to be well-integrated into British society, despite the survey’s findings that recently migrated Hong Kongers ‘ scores were “neutral.”
” Hong Kong immigrants have a moderate score in contact with people outside the household, trust in the U. K. people, social network support, belonging to the neighborhood, but they still find themselves very lonely”, the survey said.
According to the statement,” Hong Kong immigrants exhibit high levels of loneliness [which ] may suggest that they do not feel psychologically at home with the locals, which suggests there is n’t a shared cultural resonance.”
The GHQ-12 mental health questionnaire, which measures levels of psychological distress on a scale of 0 to 36, was used, according to Hongkongers in Britain Research Director Damen Woo.
Woo told RFA Cantonese,” Students and unemployed people reported very high GHQ scores, which indicate that they are experiencing severe or obvious psychological distress.” ” Particularly unemployed Hong Kongers, whose average score was 18.3, close to the 20 level indicating serious distress”.
Meanwhile, students notched up a score of 15.68 points indicating “obvious distress”, Woo said.
The team used the UCLA Three-point Loneliness Scale for the study, in which a score of 7 indicates significant loneliness.
‘ Be brave’
Economically inactive Hong Kongers, who included retirees, scored at average of 6.8 points, while students and the unemployed reported scores of more than 8, Woo said.
Because they lack social interaction and may not have much of a social circle, he said, “unemployed Hong Kongers are more likely to feel lonely.”
” But it’s disturbing and worthy of attention that students also feel lonely”, Woo said. Further investigation is required to understand why.
A 17-year-old Hong Konger who reportedly used the pseudonym Wing to avoid reprisals claimed she relocated to the United Kingdom last year with his family.
” When I first moved to England, it was the first time I had ever studied so far from home, and I did n’t have a lot of friends here”, she said. I had to learn the system from scratch.
” I had to make new friends, so I was fairly lonely at the beginning, when I’d just arrived”, Wing said, adding that the feelings lasted” two or three months”.
She advised others in similar circumstances to “be brave and take the initiative to make friends, because the British people are n’t as bad as you think.”
” If you’re willing to talk to them, they will be willing to be friends with you”, Wing said.
