Homeless immigrant in Britain talks of 'betrayal'

A Hongkonger who moved to the UK says he felt betrayed by the British government after he spent all his savings and so now cannot afford the cost of visa applications and the health care associated with it.

UK media Sky News has reported that a man, who goes by the name Enoch, arrived in the UK in 2020 - a time of lockdowns and restrictions and before the official BNO visa scheme was launched in January 2021.

Enoch, now homeless, said he could not find a job and by the time the visa scheme opened he had used up his 10,000 (HK$105,971) savings to survive during lockdown. He is now relying on food banks.

"I packed everything in two or three days and came over. Full of hope I could rebuild everything here. The reality is devastating," he told Sky News.

Hongkongers in Britain, an organization that helps Hong Kong expatriates assimilate in Britain, said housing, education and finding employment are the most common obstacles Hongkongers face.

Founder Simon Cheng also told The Standard that some parents are struggling to find schools for their children as some have moved to neighborhoods with good schools only to find that there are no places left.

Cheng said the UK government should have consistent policies. "While they welcome more Hongkongers to come, they also need to invest more into the schools."

He also said some universities request students to take their offers such as a paramedic degree only after securing their certificates of no criminal conviction - dubbed as good citizen permit - from Hong Kong police.

"But of course we know that some students may not be comfortable or cannot get it because they might be on the protest side or bee arrested before, so they can't take up the degree and pursue their own profession even in the UK."

He said UK people are generally open-minded to new Hong Kong migrants, but there might be a "bit of tension" regarding sufficient health care and school resources from local communities.

"But it is not unsolvable," Cheng said. He added his group will organize more community-bonding events between locals and Hongkongers.

Cofounder Julian Chan said for some migrants it is "a path of no return," citing the group's 2020 study that found 14 percent said they will never return to Hong Kong.

He said many are happy about their life in the UK after settling their initial struggles and expect that Hongkongers will have a "bright future" in the UK.

"Anecdotally, we heard that children settling in schools are generally much happier than in Hong Kong [given] the free environment and less pressure. The living environment is of course larger and more comfortable," he said.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party surveyed more than 500 people via phone between December 14 and 24 last year. Nearly 60 percent said they are not enjoying life in the SAR but 78 percent said they have not considered migration over the past year.

Among the 22 percent who have considered leaving Hong Kong, 75 percent hold university degrees and 1 percent plan to leave within the next three years.

Fifty-eight percent said they do not like their lives in Hong Kong while 34 percent said the opposite.