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Written by: Commentary Editing Room
2021-06-09 18:15
Last update date: 2021-06-09 18:19
After Canada launched the “open-ended” work visa program for Hong Kong residents earlier this year, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced on Tuesday (8th) that there will be two more new permanent residency programs for Hong Kong residents working or graduating from there. way.
It coincides with the second anniversary of the million-person demonstration on June 9, 2019. This wave of immigration in Hong Kong should make officials think about how to stabilize the people's hearts and make Hong Kong an attractive city to stay.
Not only Canada, but the United Kingdom also opened the process of accepting BNO visas to facilitate the immigration of Hong Kong people at the beginning of this year.
Statistics from the Census and Statistics Department show that the number of net emigrations from Hong Kong in 2020 reached a record 39,800.
These figures can be interpreted as including the flow of work and studies, but from January 31 this year to relax the immigration restrictions for BNO holders to March 31, the UK Home Office has received 34,300 applications.
Canada's Hong Kong visa program, which opened on February 8th, has received nearly 6,000 applications as of mid-May.
So in any case, Hong Kong has indeed seen another wave of immigration.
West End of Vancouver.
(Profile picture)
Social tearing-the drug introduction of the immigration wave
In response to foreign media at the end of last year, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor stated that he did not see a large number of Hong Kong immigrants. He even called immigration a "personal choice." "It is not the chief executive's responsibility." The choice of where to live is even "personal." "Choose", but whether Hong Kong can attract people to stay is also a side reflection of the government's achievements.
Just imagine, if the Hong Kong government manages properly to make Hong Kong a livable place, how many people will choose to leave their homes and other places?
The background of this wave of immigration is undoubtedly related to the political environment.
Two years ago, on June 9th, millions of Hong Kong people took to the streets to demonstrate. It was an expression of political aspirations.
However, in the past two years, there has been no success in repairing social tears.
Political anger may have been silent on the surface due to the central government's actions and the new crown epidemic, but it may turn into a deeper depression that has never been channeled and healed.
Due to unresolved political conflicts, Hong Kong society has also fallen into unnecessary disputes on various social and people's livelihood issues such as vaccines and epidemic prevention.
As the leader of this city, the chief executive must face up to the tears and ambivalence under the immigration tide.
The BNO 5+1 visa allows the spouse and the main applicant to apply separately and arrive in the UK "front and back".
(Gettyimage)
Government failure as reflected in "personal choice"
But on the other hand, outside the fuse of political conflicts, citizens' anger towards the economy and people's livelihood is a big boost to the immigration wave.
In recent studies, Hong Kong’s livability index and attractiveness have plummeted.
According to the results of the 2020 CUHK study, the public's rating of Hong Kong as "livable" has dropped significantly compared to September 2019, which is also the lowest point since the rating was created in 2017.
This cannot be entirely attributed to the social movement that broke out after 2019, because the 2018 research report of ECA International, an international human resources consulting company, has pointed out that Hong Kong’s decline in the ranking of talent attractiveness ranks among the top three in the world, and it is in Asia. maximum.
And this investigation took place before the social movement, and the evaluation factors also include natural climate, housing and public utilities, social networks and leisure facilities, infrastructure, personal safety, etc.
Is it accidental that Gu Rude, the former chief adviser of the Central Strategy Group, published his book in early 2019 under the name "The Insecure City"?
However, when Lam Cheng faced the rising trend of population exodus, he said, "Hong Kong's living environment is not bad, and the prospects are good. The biggest social problem is housing." This unresolved remarks about leaving the land reflects that the government has not realized the management. Inadequate livability caused by inadequate governance.
With regard to housing issues that she herself admits, there has been no improvement in the past two years. Under the epidemic, property prices have risen instead of falling, and the government has shelved the cancellation of the vacancy tax plan, adding to the flames of the property market.
The Baiju No.2 market, which was supposed to help people buy their own homes, actually recorded an increase of about 37% in four years. The increase was even higher than that of private properties, and it also reflected the lack of government housing policies.
Outside Windsor, England.
(Frank Augstein/Pool via Associated Press)
On the other hand, "people" are the foundation of urban development.
The immigration facilitation programs launched by various governments for Hong Kong people have political timing, but they are also a supplement to one's own manpower. The increase in Hong Kong's population exodus also reflects that the government will lose the most precious population resources in social competition.
However, when Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor responded to the population question in the Legislative Council earlier this month, he emphasized that "attracting more young people to Hong Kong" is the key policy of the population problem.
When Hong Kong cannot reduce the migration of local population due to its own social problems, how can it attract foreign populations and leave them to take root and contribute to society?
In the face of the rising trend of Hong Kong’s population exodus, the government must realize that behind this "personal choice" is a vote of confidence in government governance.
If it is said that "the ones who go are not chased", then how to make "the ones who come are still waiting", from economics and people's livelihood to political confidence to rebuild Hong Kong, so that the remaining Hong Kong people can regain their confidence in Hong Kong, Lam Cheng and the next government must be positive The problems faced.
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