Mixed reaction from HK expats to UK visa offer

LONDON: Hong Kong expatriates living in Britain have welcomed the city’s pledge of “a pathway to future citizenship” for millions of the territory’s residents after China imposed a controversial security law there.

But they warned this “message of hope” would not help many, including those born after Hong Kong’s 1997 return to Chinese rule and now aged over 18 — people at the forefront of protests against Beijing.

“It is helpful — it sends a strong message of hope to Hong Kongers, many of whom are waiting to be rescued from their city,” a financial analyst living here since 2005, said.

With relatives in Hong Kong, he was worried about their fate, especially those of university age.

“These guys won’t be helped directly by this, but they are the ones who are more vulnerable — they stopped their university degrees to join the movement,” he added, referring to pro-democracy protests that erupted last year.

“This proposal will definitely help some of the people who fear for their life — at least they have somewhere safe to go,” said Abby Yau, 40, a naturalised British citizen after 19 years in the UK.

“But I wonder how much it will benefit the majority of the people who are oppressed by the (Chinese) government.”

Yau said she had been contacted by friends asking about life in Britain, and argued the new arrivals “could be an unbelievably valuable workforce for the UK post-Brexit”. But she does not expect large numbers to leave Hong Kong, noting not everyone can afford to relocate.

The financial analyst who left Hong Kong 15 years ago agreed there will be “reluctance” to start over in Britain, but noted two of his relatives who had long been mulling relocating have finally been convinced by recent events.

“Can you call a place home when someone has taken away its core values, freedom and spirit?

“To me, that place ceased to be home — and the real home for Hong Kongers is where we can carry on contributing as a world citizen.”