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.

On the panel at the Labour Party our panellists pointed out different issues that Hong Kongers and other groups of migrants and refugees are facing and suggested some measures to enhance support.  Lord Sonny Leong mentioned some issues faced by Hong Kongers that recently came to the UK, including being unable to take their pension in Hong Kong (MPF), having to pay international student fees, and also security concerns.  He also stressed the importance of Hong Kongers integrating with the local community. 

Victina Tse from On Your Side highlighted the importance of prevention, education and reporting of hate crime to keep migrants and refugees safe.  Enver Solomon from the Refugee Council shared his observation that the support to migrants and refugees is not consistent across the country, and suggested making better use of Welcome Hubs; while Dr Alex Bulat, Labour County Councillor and Migrant Champion at Cambridgeshire County Council stressed the importance of supporting new migrants locally through English teaching (ESOL), employment and information about their rights. 

At the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester – a city where many Hong Kongers have chosen to settle – panellists also shared their experiences and observations of working with different groups of migrants, including those on the BN(O) visa from Hong Kong.

Pui-Fung Leung of the Hong Kong Business Hub discussed how many Hong Kongers want to start new businesses but need training in UK regulations and help to understand local markets. Stan Benes of Opora focused on recently-arrived Ukrainians, pointing out that housing, language and employment are all issues they are facing, as well as the need for mental health support, which he believes is common across many groups of migrants. 

Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council called for a more joined-up approach to helping refugees integrate, including coordination between central and local government; help with English Language; harnessing support from community groups, faith groups and businesses; and funding for resettlement. Jackson Ng, Councillor for Beaconsfield, looked forward to having lots of individuals from Hong Kong joining UK communities and getting involved in politics and civil society.

Krish Kandiah, Chair of Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers shared the positive story about how civil society, churches and individuals stepped up to help welcome Hong Kongers and then to offer homes for Ukrainians. "We have welcomed more refugees in our homes than ever before in our history," he said.

Questions from the audiences at both events, concerning local experiences of welcoming Hong Kongers and other migrant groups, led to further discussion on safety, settling in and strengthening the coordination between central and local government.  We hope these two sessions were helpful to those who would like to do more on welcoming, clearing-up some ambiguities in their work and linking them with the contacts and resources they need.

If you would like to know more about the Strategic Migration Partnerships and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises helping to welcome Hong Kongers, you can find out more on our HK Arrivals page.