Emigration from Hong Kong refers to the migration of Hong Kong residents away from Hong Kong. Reasons for migration range from livelihood hardships, such as the high cost of living and educational pressures, to economic opportunities elsewhere, such as expanded opportunities in mainland China following the Reform and Opening-Up, to various political events, such as the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong during the Second World War, the 1967 unrest, uncertainties leading up to the 1997 handover, and the 2019–2020 unrest. The largest community of Hong Kongers living outside of Hong Kong is in Mainland China,[1] followed by the US,[2] Canada[3] and the UK.[4]

History

Japanese occupation

Governor Mark Young surrendered Hong Kong to the Empire of Japan on 25 December 1941, after the British colonial authorities lost the Battle of Hong Kong against the invading Japanese forces.[5][6] The occupation lasted for three years and eight months until Japan surrendered at the end of the Second World War. As a result, the population of Hong Kong dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945.[7]

Post-WWII to 1960s unrest

While post-WWII Hong Kong saw a population boom with increased migration from mainland China, the traditional ways of life in the indigenous villages in the New Territories collapsed. Unable to earn a living in the newly industrialised economy of post-war Hong Kong, many villagers exercised their right of abode in the United Kingdom and left for Europe.

Throughout the 1960s, local discontent and labour movements against British colonial rule led to growing unrest, exemplified by the 1966 and 1967 riots. This pushed some Hong Kong residents to move abroad to various countries in Southeast Asia, South Africa and South America. This wave did not come to a rest until the mid-1970s.

Lead-up to handover

On 19 December 1984, the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and validated the 1997 handover of Hong Kong back to China. Political uncertainties leading up to this transfer of sovereignty, including the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in Beijing, prompted some Hong Kong residents to migrate in the 1980s-90s.

The British government made it clear that Hong Kong subjects would not be granted British citizenship on the grounds that they were residing in a British colony, so migrants made their own arrangements. Cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne and London were popular destinations, and an estimated US$4.2 billion entered Canada as a result.[8][9] Peak outflows between 1988 and 1994 averaged about 55,000 per year, although many returned to Hong Kong in the early years following the handover.

Post-handover and reverse migration

After the handover, a significant portion of Hong Kong-born emigrants to foreign countries returned to Hong Kong[10] in a wave of return migration known as the "Hong Kong returning tide" (Chinese: 香港回流潮). Statistics indicate that 35% of people who emigrated from Hong Kong since the 1980s ultimately returned to the city.[11]

Migration to Chinese mainland

In the years following Chinese economic reform, a growing number of Hong Kongers have migrated to mainland China, in what is known as the “heading north” (Chinese: 北上) phenomenon.[12][13] Today, mainland China is home to the largest community of Hong Kongers outside of Hong Kong,[14] with the largest concentration being in neighboring Shenzhen and other cities in the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong province.

Social issues and 2019–2020 unrest

Social inequality and the high cost of living accelerated throughout the 2010s. This coupled with the increasing hostile stance from the Hong Kong government to universal suffrage and political expression further increased the sentiment to migrate from Hong Kong. A key milestone would be the first occasion of tear gassing of peaceful protestors in decades, which at the time was directed by the chief executive C Y Leung, and this sparked backlash from the public and precipitated the Umbrella Movement. Government further exacerbated the political climate, notably the Mass protests erupted in 2019 in response to proposed extradition amendments by the Carrie Lam administration, which began as peaceful demonstration and protests but later escalated. Chinese central government then enacting the Hong Kong national security law to enlarge the power of the police to arrest and detain.

These events have pushed some residents to leave Hong Kong, including opposition activists fleeing arrest.[15] Both Australia and Canada widened permanent residency pathways for students, skilled workers and asylum seekers from Hong Kong.[16][17][18] Most notably, the UK announced a citizenship pathway for BN(O) passport holders and dependents, granting three million Hongkongers eligibility for British citizenship. By the end of 2021, around 88,000 have applied for this scheme.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Enhanced Method for Compiling Statistics on Hong Kong Residents Having Resided / Having Stayed Substantially in the Mainland" (PDF). Census and Statistics Department, Government of Hong Kong. March 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". www.ocac.gov.tw. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ↑ "僑委會全球資訊網" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Archived from the original on 25 April 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  5. ↑ Snow, Philip. [2004] (2004). The fall of Hong Kong: Britain, China and the Japanese occupation. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-10373-5, ISBN 978-0-300-10373-1.
  6. ↑ Mark, Chi-Kwan. [2004] (2004). Hong Kong and the Cold War: Anglo-American relations 1949–1957. Oxford University Press publishing. ISBN 0-19-927370-7, ISBN 978-0-19-927370-6. p 14.
  7. ↑ Keith Bradsher (18 April 2005). "Thousands March in Anti-Japan Protest in Hong Kong". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 February 2006. Retrieved 11 April 2006.
  8. ↑ Manion, Melanie. [2004](2004). Corruption by Design: Building Clean Government in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Harvard University press. ISBN 0-674-01486-3
  9. ↑ "As pessimism grows in Hong Kong, so do fears of potential exodus". 23 September 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2016 – via The Japan Times.
  10. ↑ "Thousands of Hong Kong-born people move back to Canada, once again reversing a migration that has shaped cities across the Pacific".
  11. ↑ [Kee, P.K. and Ronald Skeldon. 1994. The migration and settlement of Hong Kong Chinese in Australia. In Reluctant exiles? Migration from Hong Kong and the new overseas Chinese. Edited by Ronald Skeldon. New York: ME. Sharpe and Hong Kong University Press.]
  12. ↑ "Young Hongkongers head north to Qianhai for job opportunities".
  13. ↑ "People flee Hong Kong - and head north".
  14. ↑ "Enhanced Method for Compiling Statistics on Hong Kong Residents Having Resided / Having Stayed Substantially in the Mainland" (PDF). Census and Statistics Department, Government of Hong Kong. March 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  15. ↑ "Nathan Law: Hong Kong pro-democracy activist reveals he's in London". BBC News. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  16. ↑ "News page".
  17. ↑ "Amid Chinese crackdown, Ottawa widens door for young Hong Kong immigrants – National | Globalnews.ca".
  18. ↑ "Canada announces immigration measures supporting Hong Kong residents and Canadians in Hong Kong". 12 November 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  19. ↑ "88,000 Hong Kongers apply for new British resettlement visa". Hong Kong Free Press. Agence France-Presse. 15 December 2021.
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