Daniel Korski is Chair of the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers.
Today is an important day for more than 140,000 Hong Kongers, marking the second anniversary of the British National (Overseas) visa scheme that has enabled them to start a new life in Britain.
While many will have missed family and friends at last week’s Lunar New Year celebrations, they are also creating new traditions and memories with new friends and communities here in the UK.
Introduced by Boris Johnson, the then-Prime Minister, in response to the Chinese government’s imposition of a controversial national security law on Hong Kong, this policy has had a significant impact on the lives of many Hong Kongers – and brought gains for Britain too.
Hong Kongers have settled in cities and towns across the country, bringing with them a diverse array of skills, talents, and entrepreneurial spirit.
In Wales, Hong Kongers have been drawn to Cardiff, whose bayside location close to mountains and valleys is reminiscent of home. In Northern Ireland, Hong Kongers have created firm friendships with residents of Belfast through the Government-funded Welcome Churches project. And of course in London, where many Hong Konger families have chosen to settle in the leafy southwest of the city, 500 children from Hong Kong have entered schools in Richmond alone.
This influx of immigrants has not only enriched the cultural diversity of the UK, but has also strengthened the country’s economy and communities.
Take for example Colchester Life in the UK CIC – a small organisation facilitating integration through a series of outreach events, volunteering opportunities, and regular days at a park café where Hong Kongers can cook traditional food, serve milk tea, and spend time with local people from Colchester.
Or the ECHO FM project in Manchester run by All Arts Media and Dragons’ Voice – a community radio station that has given training to Hong Kongers to produce radio programmes that provide new arrivals with more information about UK society and culture, while also skilling-up participants.
These projects and events don’t just help Hong Kongers meet with local residents and deepen their ties within their new communities: they also help them to improve their language skills and understanding of British work culture, giving them the confidence to build their careers in a new, English-speaking environment.
Many Hong Kongers have established businesses and created jobs here, while others have brought their expertise to the country’s universities and research institutions.
They have also contributed to this country’s arts and culture scene, and have helped to build stronger and more vibrant communities across the length and breadth of the nation. Last year’s Hong Kong Film Festival showed new releases in seven cities, drawing large audiences including many Britons with no personal connection to or experience of Hong Kong.
The decision to allow Hong Kongers to immigrate to the UK was a bold and necessary move in the face of the Chinese government’s repressive actions in their home city. It has not only given these individuals the chance to live in a free and democratic society, but it has also benefited the United Kingdom as a whole.
The decision to set up a Welcome Programme, to ensure that Hong Kongers are provided with the support they need on arrival in order help them to settle and make their full contribution to our society, may be just as far-reaching.
The UK does integration well – one only has to look at, say, Number 10 Downing Street for evidence that we are probably one of the most successful multi-ethnic democracies on the planet.
Yet this success has often been more by accident than design. Integration rarely gets the attention it deserves until it goes wrong – in response to the Brixton riots of the 1980s, for example or those in northern mill-towns 20 years ago.
The proactive approach to integration shown through the Welcome Programme is a case study for how we might do things differently.
Rather than agonising over whether new arrivals are fitting into the communities that they join, or whether they are learning English and filling vacancies in our labour market, a proactive approach instead invests in ensuring that people have the tools they need to settle in, make new friends, utilise their skills and contribute to our economy and society.
That is better for the individuals who are new to these shores, better for the communities that they join and, by heading off integration issues before they arise, better for the public purse too.
Last night the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers brought together some of these new arrivals from Hong Kong, and the local organisations helping them to settle here, at a special reception to mark the anniversary of the BN(O) scheme and to celebrate the Lunar New Year. It’s a moment to remember the contributions of these new immigrants and celebrate the strength and resilience of our communities.
The policy has allowed Hong Kongers to find a new home and a new sense of hope in the United Kingdom, and that is something that we should all be proud of
Daniel Korski is Chair of the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers.
Today is an important day for more than 140,000 Hong Kongers, marking the second anniversary of the British National (Overseas) visa scheme that has enabled them to start a new life in Britain.
While many will have missed family and friends at last week’s Lunar New Year celebrations, they are also creating new traditions and memories with new friends and communities here in the UK.
Introduced by Boris Johnson, the then-Prime Minister, in response to the Chinese government’s imposition of a controversial national security law on Hong Kong, this policy has had a significant impact on the lives of many Hong Kongers – and brought gains for Britain too.
Hong Kongers have settled in cities and towns across the country, bringing with them a diverse array of skills, talents, and entrepreneurial spirit.
In Wales, Hong Kongers have been drawn to Cardiff, whose bayside location close to mountains and valleys is reminiscent of home. In Northern Ireland, Hong Kongers have created firm friendships with residents of Belfast through the Government-funded Welcome Churches project. And of course in London, where many Hong Konger families have chosen to settle in the leafy southwest of the city, 500 children from Hong Kong have entered schools in Richmond alone.
This influx of immigrants has not only enriched the cultural diversity of the UK, but has also strengthened the country’s economy and communities.
Take for example Colchester Life in the UK CIC – a small organisation facilitating integration through a series of outreach events, volunteering opportunities, and regular days at a park café where Hong Kongers can cook traditional food, serve milk tea, and spend time with local people from Colchester.
Or the ECHO FM project in Manchester run by All Arts Media and Dragons’ Voice – a community radio station that has given training to Hong Kongers to produce radio programmes that provide new arrivals with more information about UK society and culture, while also skilling-up participants.
These projects and events don’t just help Hong Kongers meet with local residents and deepen their ties within their new communities: they also help them to improve their language skills and understanding of British work culture, giving them the confidence to build their careers in a new, English-speaking environment.
Many Hong Kongers have established businesses and created jobs here, while others have brought their expertise to the country’s universities and research institutions.
They have also contributed to this country’s arts and culture scene, and have helped to build stronger and more vibrant communities across the length and breadth of the nation. Last year’s Hong Kong Film Festival showed new releases in seven cities, drawing large audiences including many Britons with no personal connection to or experience of Hong Kong.
The decision to allow Hong Kongers to immigrate to the UK was a bold and necessary move in the face of the Chinese government’s repressive actions in their home city. It has not only given these individuals the chance to live in a free and democratic society, but it has also benefited the United Kingdom as a whole.
The decision to set up a Welcome Programme, to ensure that Hong Kongers are provided with the support they need on arrival in order help them to settle and make their full contribution to our society, may be just as far-reaching.
The UK does integration well – one only has to look at, say, Number 10 Downing Street for evidence that we are probably one of the most successful multi-ethnic democracies on the planet.
Yet this success has often been more by accident than design. Integration rarely gets the attention it deserves until it goes wrong – in response to the Brixton riots of the 1980s, for example or those in northern mill-towns 20 years ago.
The proactive approach to integration shown through the Welcome Programme is a case study for how we might do things differently.
Rather than agonising over whether new arrivals are fitting into the communities that they join, or whether they are learning English and filling vacancies in our labour market, a proactive approach instead invests in ensuring that people have the tools they need to settle in, make new friends, utilise their skills and contribute to our economy and society.
That is better for the individuals who are new to these shores, better for the communities that they join and, by heading off integration issues before they arise, better for the public purse too.
Last night the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers brought together some of these new arrivals from Hong Kong, and the local organisations helping them to settle here, at a special reception to mark the anniversary of the BN(O) scheme and to celebrate the Lunar New Year. It’s a moment to remember the contributions of these new immigrants and celebrate the strength and resilience of our communities.
The policy has allowed Hong Kongers to find a new home and a new sense of hope in the United Kingdom, and that is something that we should all be proud of