Find out all the latest news about welcoming Hong Kongers across the UK
Ministers joining Hong Kongers and welcomers to mark three years of BN(O) visa scheme
31st January 2024 marks the three-year anniversary since the UK Government opened a new visa route for British National Overseas (BN(O)) citizens in Hong Kong to move to the UK to live, work, and study. Since then, over 180,000 BN(O) visas have been issued. Government ministers Tom Tugenhadt and Felicity Buchan both addressed a 30 January London reception bringing together Hong Kongers and some of the many UK organisations that have been helping them to settle and integrate in the UK. The event, hosted by the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers (WC4HK), celebrated three years of the BN(O) visa scheme and also looked ahead to lunar new year celebrations in coming weeks.
“You are seen as a friend and they don’t care where you come from” - story of Wing
As our recent survey about BN(O) Hong Kongers reveals, almost all respondents (99%) said they intended to apply for settlement and also for British citizenship. Wing is probably one of them - just 2 years since they have arrived in the UK, Wing and his wife have already passed the resettlement (Life in UK) test. The friendly environment is an important factor to enable him to enjoy his new life in the UK.
Hong Kong migrants face challenges despite support - Survey shows need for proactive backing in settling and integration
New research published by British Future finds that this group of new arrivals is different in some respects from those who have come before, including from south Asia. At the same time, they are facing some of the same challenges.
New study finds Hong Kongers are here to stay in UK but need more support to make full contribution to economy
The most authoritative study to date of BN(O) Hong Kongers in the UK, covering issues including work, the cost of living, integration, belonging, language, location, future plans and the challenges that Hong Kongers are facing in the UK.
by Heather Rolfe and Thomas Benson
Event report: Labour Party Conference and Conservative Party Conference 2023
The work of Welcoming Hong Kongers is not only about Hong Kongers – it is also about how to create a more welcoming society for everyone new to this country. This year, we organised two panels with British Future to discuss this theme at the Labour and Conservative Party Conferences.
British Future and the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Krish Kandiah, OBE as Chair of the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers
British Future and the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Krish Kandiah, OBE as Chair of the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers.
Football – an unnoticed connection between Hong Kongers and the UK
So for some Hong Kongers who moved to the UK after 2020 – even if many of us had little choice in this move and still miss Hong Kong – there was a certain level of excitement linked to coming to the UK. “I can watch the team I love every week!” While many later found that the tickets for some popular teams are extremely difficult to get, the matches are more accessible here and their love of football has helped them settle in the UK.
What is the Mid-Autumn Festival and how do Hong Kongers celebrate?
If you have friends from East or South East Asia, the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節), or Moon festival, will probably be familiar to you. It is celebrated by many East/South East Asian countries, on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month – which means 29th September this year. The festival emerged from the celebration of the harvest with friends and families, while the family union is still a major element of celebrations too. So this makes it an especially important time for those living far away from their family and friends, as many of the UK’s BN(O) Hong Kongers are.
Report from the Welcoming Hong Kongers Annual Conference 2023
Minister Felicity Buchan of the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities offered her thanks to all those “helping to welcome our new friends and neighbours from Hong Kong” to the UK, and to Hong Kongers “for choosing to make Britain your home,” as they gathered at the Welcoming Hong Kongers Annual Conference in London.
How cultural exchanges start in a bubble tea shop - a Hongkonger couple’s story
Relocating to another country is a big decision: it’s not only about the differences in language and culture, but the need to start again building connections, support networks and career options. While some may try to find a job that reflects the expertise they gained back in Hong Kong, some may opt to start running their own business.
The ‘uncles’ dedicated to promote Hong Kong culture to everyone in the UK.
When I first heard about ‘Uncle E Bakery’, I imagined a friendly chap by the name of Eric, or maybe Ernie, kneading dough with his hands. However, as Kelvin and Andy of Uncle E explained to me, it’s actually a kind of Cantonese pun based on the old tale of Ah-Mau, a baker from Guangzhou.
Research update (June): Survey Data collection
This March, WC4HK held a third round of forums dedicated to issues in employment and education for Hong Kongers - and there are some powerful testimonials from the some participation on integration
Migrants’ own decisions are the missing piece in Scotland’s migration puzzle
Last Wednesday (7 June) the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers, which is housed within British Future, held an event in Edinburgh jointly with Reform Scotland on the country’s immigration challenges, here’s what have been discussed.
Hong Kong food in the UK - and where to get it
With more Hong Kongers moving to the UK since the BN(O) visa route opened 2 years ago, we are seeing more and more food stores selling Hong Kong style food. Friendship festivals, pop-up markets and other events are also providing people in Britain with new opportunities to sample the cuisine of Hong Kong - or you may have eaten some with your Hong Konger neighbours and friends.
It’s time for some Hongkongese
As a mixture of English and Cantonese developed over time, some unique words and phrases have evolved, with new terms emerging from time to time. These may not even be understood by Cantonese speakers from other parts of the world. So using “Hongkongese” is not just about Hong Kongers’ identity – it can also reflect differences in the language itself.
“Coffee mornings help to build a relationship with the local community and are an opportunity to breakdown barriers.” - an example from a school in Berkshire
As students started to come back into the classrooms after the Covid pandemic related disruptions, many schools like The Forest Secondary School in Berkshire were also finding that due to the British National Overseas visa scheme, there was an influx of families arriving from Hong Kong in the surrounding areas with children they wished to join their school.
“The moment they knew I could understand them it made a big difference” - how Canto speaking teaching staff can help Hongkonger students
A motherly smile and twinkling eyes greet the students when they walk into the library at Comberton Village College in Cambridgeshire. Thanks to Mandy Siu, the Canto speaking librarian, this area of the school has become so much more than a place to read books or study.
How schools can provide the welcome that Hong Kongers need
Many migrants are motivated by the prospect of a better life for their children. People coming to the UK via the British National Overseas (BNO) visa route from Hong Kong are no exception. Hong Kongers want their children to succeed in school and in their future lives as British citizens. But how are schools responding to the challenge of welcoming and integrating migrant children, including recent arrivals from Hong Kong? Heather Rolfe, joint author of a new report by the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers on the topic, looks at how schools might do welcoming better.
Better understanding of why Hong Kongers are coming to UK could help schools integrate new arrivals, finds new research
The new report ‘New in class: How schools can help children and families from Hong Kong to settle and integrate’ published today by the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers, finds that schools in England have played a positive role in the integration of children from Hong Kong.
Research update (March): Exploring Cultural Identity and Integration in UK Schools
This March, WC4HK held a third round of forums dedicated to issues in employment and education for Hong Kongers - and there are some powerful testimonials from the some participation on integration
