Introduction
Today, we are living in an age of mobility where the movement of people has been more extensive than before. About 2.5% of the world population has always moved for the last couple of decades. Asia is home to about 57% of the world’s population and is the main source of skilled migrants for several other developed nations. Nations like Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan offer wages and conditions that are similar to those in OECD countries, and carry lower fertility rates and aging workforces (Migration: A Global Phenomenon). Hong Kong looks for skilled temporary migrants and has introduced point system based on skill levels.
The Hong Kong-Shenzhen border that is placed along the Shenzhen Rivers used to control the traveling and migration of the population between Hong Kong and mainland China. Hong Kong was reversed to mainland China in 1997, but the strict immigration controls still remain. There are valid travel documents required for both Hong Kong and mainland Chinese residents to cross this border. However, there are lesser restrictions towards Hong Kong Chinese residents as compared to mainland Chinese.
When looking at global trends in international migration, there was a slump observed in 2009, however, there is a revival with a rebounding back in the past couple of years.
The Old and the New Hongkongers
The Old Hongkongers are those people who are indigenous to the territory and moved here in the 1950s to escape war. Members of the generation grew up under British colonial rule, and the next generations grew up under British colonial rule. They are more conscious of democracy and freedom and concepts relating to the rule of law.
The New Hongkongers have immigrated to Hong Kong from the mainland through different channels. The immigrants do not go down well with the Old Hongkongers, who carry a high self-pride and are self-reliant. Certain behaviors and cultural difference are also to blame. The increasing number of mainlanders coming to Hong Kong are only adding to the increasing conflicts. Thus, it is not surprising to see an adverse attitude towards newcomers among the Old Hongkongers. The divide between ‘ old’ Hong Kong people and new immigrants from the mainland seems to be getting bigger. The differences are only getting more frequent and noticeable and clearly, the two groups do not get along very well.The background
Hong Kong has always enjoyed strong ties with China and other major Western Powers. This explains the cosmopolitan character and internationalization of the state while being a part of Chinese cultural area. The institutional environment of Hong Kong was stabilized by the legal, financial, educations and other organizations introduced by Britain. Honk Kong society changed when it moved from manufacturing to the fundamental nature.
The separation of Hong Kong from China was slow and never complete. The cross border trade and commerce never stopped, and laws remained active. In 1984, reification of China with Hong Kong was announced. The news enhanced the economic interaction between the two. As the colonial government had ruled in a minimalist fashion, the new regime lacked institutional mechanism, in order to regulate the competing financial and traditional interests. Hong Kong society has built a strong collective identity. Hong Kongers became self-identified and developed an identity that was different from the people on the other side of the border. They were seeing the rapid improvements in living standards based on quality education, excellent public housing and mass transit.
The media too have played an important role in unifying Hong Kongers identity. Hong Kong was created as a mobile society, right from the start. There has always been cross border traffic with the purpose of jobs, education, and migration. It is densely networked internationally and many people are leaving too. Their wider network motivates them to join distinguished families abroad. The working class has always displayed a high correlation with having kin abroad.
Immigrants from Mainland China
Under the principle of “One Country, Two Systems” , Hong Kong is still a part of China. However, the Mainland Chinese, who want to live in Hong Kong have to apply for a visa. In order to attract the right talent, Hong Kong has introduced Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES), and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS). The immigrants from Mainland China are one of the major reasons for population rise in Hong Kong, and a recent survey finds that these new immigrants from Mainland account for 93%of the population growth (Wong et al. 373-91). The trend is expected to continue, and it seems Hong Kong relies on its immigrants to keep up its population growth as the fertility rate in the state has been steadily declining.
Chinese immigrants face serious difficulties in adjusting their lives in Hong Kong. These challenges include unemployment, improper housing conditions, discrimination, low income, social isolation, etc. In short, they are adopting a poor quality of life. Their situation and condition are attracting tremendous attention. When the study was done on the adult immigrants aged 18 or above, it was felt that improving the quality of life is a complicated task. The mental health of Chinese immigrants is a growing concern. The results of this study showed that depression, low socio-economic standing and lack of social support. Psychological support services and quality professional counseling is highly recommended for these immigrants, especially those with depressive symptoms.
Attitude of Old Hongkongers towards the New Hongkongers
A research report showed the attitude of HK local people towards mainland immigrants and in general, they hold a negative attitude. Majority of the masses think that the amount of immigration could decrease sharply. They feel that the cheap labor from the mainland competed with the local people for few opportunities and are also a burden on the HK government.
When immigrating, one can bring their spouse and unmarried dependent children to Hong Kong, and they too would be free to take up employment during their stay in Hong Kong. These people use social resources such as hospitals and schools, and thus the locals have to compete with them (Ling Sze Leung). The richer people who come to Hong Kong invest in real estate market, thus making the house prices higher. The housing problem is one of the major concerns the local people and this is one of the reason they dislike the immigration. Moreover, the irresponsible behavior of some immigrants can lead to hostilities.
Cross border students
The number of students between mainland China and Hong Kong is on the increase due to an expansion of cross-border marriage between the two. The cross border issues related to students have always been one of the significant social issues in Hong Kong. The society is concerned about the language problems and participation in extra-curricular activities by cross border students. Most of these students belong to cross border families and which means Hong Kong resident marrying mainland Chinese. Recently, it has been found that children among the cross border students, are not from cross border families but the mainland Chinese couples. The number of infants born by mainland Chinese couples is fast rising and are permitted to have the ‘Right of abode’ in Hong Kong. Therefore, all the children born to mainland Chinese couples become residents of Hong Kong. Another issue is that these children with Hong Kong residency, but with no official family registry in mainland China, had to go back to Hong Kong for education. Thus, the numbers of cross border students are on the rise.
These cross border students create conflict between local Hong Kong residents and mainland Chinese. Since those cross border students have the right to enjoy Hong Kong’s free education, and are eligible for any education subsidies, they are criticized by the Hong Kong residents. Moreover, they do not have to pay tax in Hong Kong. As the students require extra support or resources from the school to adapt to the learning environment in Hong Kong, they are also a burden on the educational resources of Hong Kong. The cross border families (Ling Sze Leung) prefer to send their children back to Hong Kong for education as they have higher confidence in the education system there. Moreover, Hong Kong’s education system get higher recognition internationally. Higher education facilities in Australia, United State of America, Canada, United Kingdom, etc. recognize the Examination levels in Hong Kong. Thus, students completing their education from Hong Kong have brighter chances of going abroad to these countries for further studies.
It is not easy for the cross border students to go to school in Hong Kong. They have to hold valid travel documents, and a Hong Kong Resident Identity Card is mandatory. Besides the safety issue, other great concerns are transportation cost and time. Plus, there is a variation of education system and the language.
It is apparent that the number of cross border students will continue to rise, what with the growing number of babies being born to Chinese couples in Hong Kong. Most of the cross border students still face the same issues such as a serious self-identification problem. Cooperation between parents, school, and government, is very much needed.
Immigrants returning home
The trend of immigrants returning home in Hong Kong carries a unique relevance, and there are many stories of return migration carrying anxieties and anticipations. Hong Kong enjoys a new status as a unique administrative region after 1997. In the 1990s, millions of residents of Hong Kong migrated to North America, Australia, and Europe, looking for better education and opportunities. The return of the Hong Kongers, who had earlier emigrated to Canada (Fong. 25-43) and Australia before the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 sets background for a review of cultural psychology and human geography. The cultural identity profile of the locals contrasts with the remigrants in the West.
The struggles of remigrants do not end once they return home. The country they considered “home” has changed a lot in their absence, and it is like adapting to a foreign land. They do not feel very welcomed by the local population and are compelled to take emotional journeys, in order to understand their cultural identity. They have to bear the tensions of adjusting to the host country and reintegrating to the home country, while facing opposition all the time.
The quality of immigrants
The rift between new immigrants from the mainland and the ‘ old’ Hong Kong people seems to be widening. The conflicts between them are only becoming more frequent. Old Hongkongers look upon themselves as hard-working and self-reliant. They find it difficult to fill the cultural differences with the mainlanders and are averse to habits like talking loudly on the streets, or using public grounds as toilets. The increasing number of mainlanders have led to shortages in daily necessities such as medicine and baby milk powder. Local people have to compete with the mainland immigrants and these aspects create an adverse attitude towards newcomers. These immigrants are seen as threat to the interests of indigenous people.
The New Hongkongers may take up resources, they also enhance “energy level” and this shakes up the image people with low education levels and who are living on social welfare. There are many top talents among the immigrants and a survey shows that the majority of New Hongkongers are self-supporting (Yan ) and in fact are part of the driving force behind Hong Kong’s development. The average education levels among the new immigrants is also on the rise.’ average education levels are also rising, according. It calls for the Hong Kong public to develop a new mentality towards the newcomers.
Immigrating the right talent
Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city that has always been under pressure and competition from Asia Pacific countries and mainly from the Mainland China. There is no comprehensive
Population policy followed by the state so as to preserve a healthy population profile. Adequate talents and professionals are essential for nay country to sustain economic and social growth.
Besides, Hong Kong also has to address other grave and unsolved social problems such as aging population and low fertility rate. Hong Kong government has often been criticized for not developing a long term population policy customized according to the social structure and economic development. Hong Kong has an urgent need to collect professional people from the world so as to boost its Human capital and competitiveness for long term development, both economically and socially.
Hong Kong is praiseworthy for offering quality healthcare services, but taking care of an aging population also brings massive financial burden. The rise in public health expenditure is much higher than its economy growth. The government is now realizing the importance of structuring a comprehensive population policy after reunification so as to pool in and attract the best talent in the region and world-wide and from the fast-developing Mainland China. The knowledge-based and high-skilled work force will add to the economy and give it a future direction. Hong Kong is no exception and will have to face the competition with other economies globally.
About 150 Mainland immigrants arrive from Mainland China to Hong Kong, but these are less educated. Therefore, Hong Kong should focus on importing talents from the world to solve the shortage of high-quality human capital.
Emigrants from Hong Kong
Many Hong Kongers are choosing to migrate to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and US.
The precise reasons and figure of migration are difficult to guess. The prime motives are higher education, staying after graduation or returning with a residency visa. Billions of dollars flow to Canada from Hong Kong because of the outflow of people. However, many Hong Kong-born emigrants are seen to return to Hong Kong with a foreign citizenship, but not being able to succeed overseas.
Every one in five Hongkongers today seem pessimistic about their political future and stability, according to a poll by a Chinese University. About 20% of the population said that they would like to emigrate, given the chance. About 8,000 Hong Kong people emigrate every year as compared to 20,000 in the 1980s. Already, migration from Asia is a major component of migration flows to OECD countries. Hong Kong’s residents leaving the shores are anxious about their future (Labor Migration, Skills & Student Mobility in Asia). They were anxious when the British colony was returned to Chinese control and now years later, they are still worried about their future. The number of emigrations is picking up once again. The immigration consultants are witnessing an increasing interest among the local to migrate abroad and relocate overseas as they are concerned about the economic and political outlook of the city.
In the past couple of years, Hong Kong has been divided over the issue for democracy. There have been a rise in the government scandals and a number of administration figures have been forced to resign. The politics here seems to be in a mess right now, and many parents do not want their children to grown up in this environment. The people do not seem to have much confidence in Hong Kong’s future and the society is not moving forward. The job opportunities for graduates are getting low. The cost of housing too has more than doubled in Hong Kong and thus the property market are another factor that is encouraging the middle class to leave. The cost of living too has risen according to government statistics. Many residents are thinking about cashing in and selling their flat in Hong Kong and buy a sizeable house in the other country, in a great neighborhood, and still save some money. Many Hong Kong locals are returning from holidays abroad are struck by the high cost of living and get inspired to relocate overseas. Fierce competition for space is pushing families to seek foreign shores.
Reference
Fong, Eric. "Return Migration from Canada to Hong Kong." China Review 12.1 (2012): 25-43. Print.
Ling Sze Leung, Nancy,. "A Study of Cross Border Student in Hong Kong: The New Phenomenon of Cross Border Students Which Arise from Cross Border Birth." World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 6 (2012). Print.
"Labor Migration, Skills & Student Mobility in Asia." Asian Development Bank Institute. (2014). Print.
"Migration: A Global Phenomenon." Peace Research 26.4 (1994): 73. Print.
Wong, Winky K. F., Kee-Lee Chou, and Nelson W. S. Chow. "Correlates of Quality of Life in New Migrants to Hong Kong from Mainland China." Social Indicators Research 107.2 (2012): 373-91. Print.
Yan, Lon. "Are New Immigrants a Boon to Hong Kong?" Social Issues (2012). Print.
