More than 40 per cent of people in Hong Kong want to emigrate amid the continuing social unrest, according to a recent survey by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, compared with around a third of respondents who gave the same answer in December last year. Of those who would like to move abroad, 23 per cent have already started planning their emigration.

Recent student recruitment events in Hong Kong have seen significant increases in visitor numbers, with a large proportion being families with young children. At the British Council we believe that this intention to leave Hong Kong is a driver of increased interest in overseas education.

According to the survey the top two push factors for respondents planning to move abroad are “too much political dispute or social upheaval” (27.9 per cent) and “no democracy in Hong Kong” (21.5 per cent).

While there is increased interest in overseas education, including to the UK, the three most popular destinations to emigrate to are Canada (17.5 per cent), Australia (13.8 per cent), and Taiwan (12.1 per cent).

Sources:

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3032390/more-40-cent-hongkongers-want-emigrate-amid

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49317695

Comments by Anna Lee, Head of Education Services, North East Asia

The political instability in Hong Kong has already triggered some parent’s decision to change their life planning. From the survey, Australia, Canada and Taiwan are the most popular migration destinations because they have the most attractive immigration policies.

Middle-class families may be enquiring about opportunities abroad, but it does not necessarily mean they will go because not everyone can afford to or is able to migrate to another country. An alternative is to send their children abroad for education.

According to the Study UK schools and colleges fair visitor data this year (October 2019), there has been a nearly 50% increase in visitors numbers compared with last year and, surprisingly, around 26% of the visitors children are aged under 10 – there were none in 2018. So, from the visitor data we have found that parents are intending to send their child abroad much earlier than before. One of the key reasons is that parents would like to avoid their children being involved in the protests, or being bullied at school due to political views or different backgrounds.

The current issues facing Hong Kong are stimulating the demand for UK education at all levels (schools, undergraduate and postgraduate level), as many families and young professionals are looking for avenues to leave.