04/03/2023
今期好高興邀請到香港監察創辦人 Benedict Rogers為The HongKonger 撰文，鼓勵移英香港人👏🏻！
By Benedict Rogers
When I left Hong Kong in 2002, after living there for five years, I never expected that 20 years later, over 140,000 Hong Kongers would move to the UK. And when I was denied entry to Hong Kong on the orders of Beijing in October 2017, I never imagined that just five years later so many Hong Kongers would be leaving the city and coming to build new lives in the UK.
What has happened to Hong Kong in recent years is tragic. The way the Chinese Communist Party regime has torn up its promises under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, destroyed the “one country, two systems” principle and dismantled Hong Kong’s freedoms and autonomy is heart-breaking. And it is undoubtedly traumatic and deeply sad for Hong Kongers to leave the city they called home, the place in which they were born and in which they have grown up. But in the circumstances, I am so glad that the United Kingdom has offered this lifeline to Hong Kongers. I give the British government great credit for the British National Overseas (BNO) scheme, and for the extension implemented last year to allow young people, as long as they have one parent eligible for BNO, to claim the same status even if coming independently of their parents.
Today across Britain, Hong Kongers are building new lives. From the London suburbs of Kingston, Sutton, Wimbledon, Richmond, Ealing and Colindale to our other great cities of Manchester and Birmingham, from St Albans to Reading to Bristol and Bath, I know Hong Kongers who are settling down, building their Hong Kong communities and being a great blessing to the wider local community. Sometimes I joke that although I can no longer go to Hong Kong, it seems Hong Kong has come to me. Almost every day I meet Hong Kongers who have just moved here. Sometimes I meet Hong Kongers at cultural events or political rallies in London, and sometimes I just meet them in the street. I have bumped into Hong Kongers in shops in the town where I live, and at church – even my local optician is a Hong Konger, I discovered.
To everyone who has moved to the UK from Hong Kong recently, I want to say five very important words: You are very welcome here! I know that in the beginning, you will face challenges transitioning to life in Britain, whether it is struggles with language and culture or the difficulties of finding affordable accommodation, a good school, registering with your local doctor or finding a job. But in the long-run, I know Hong Kongers to be people of remarkable ingenuity, resilience, initiative, enterprise and determination, and I have no doubt that Britain is blessed to have you. In the long-run, you will build new businesses, create jobs, bring professional skills to our public and private sectors and make a great contribution to society.
Britain and Hong Kong have a shared history together. Of course, no British person is proud of the way our history with Hong Kong began. But we can all be proud of the values upon which, until the handover in 1997, Hong Kong was built: the rule of law, an open society, a free media, a thriving civil society and a democratic spirit. Those values have been trashed by Beijing, but they are the foundational values in this country, and they are the values that unite us.
Over the past five years, Hong Kong Watch has played a pivotal role in advocating for Hong Kongers. We advocated for the establishment of a BNO scheme since early 2018. We led the campaign for the amendment to extend BNO rights to young people. And over the past year or so, we have been offering Hong Kongers a programme of civic and political education, to help Hong Kongers in Britain understand their political rights in this country and how to engage with our political society and wider society. We have held workshops and seminars looking at different aspects of our system of government, our electoral system, modern political and social history, as well as community engagement, healthcare and taxation. We have organised meetings with Members of Parliament, and a tour of the Houses of Parliament. We will continue this programme and hope that it is helpful.
I would encourage Hong Kongers now living in this country to consider how to engage in the wider community, to explore the history and culture of this great island nation, to get to know your neighbours and – when possible – to travel around the four nations that make up the United Kingdom. From the haggis, whisky, kilts and bagpipes of Scotland to the pasties and cream teas of Cornwall, from the tea and puddings of Yorkshire to the choirs and lambs of Wales, from the troubled history but rich culture of Northern Ireland to England’s castles, country houses, gardens and stunning coastal paths, there is so much to see, learn and experience. This is now your home, and I hope you will make the most of it.
Yet at the same time, it is vital that you never lose your identity and culture as Hong Kongers. I know there are many Hong Kong community groups across the UK dedicated to ensuring that you protect and promote Hong Kong identity, through ensuring that your Cantonese language is taught, your cuisine is shared and your story told through film festivals and other activities. That is why this month’s “Hong Kong March” is so important – an opportunity to introduce people throughout the UK to Hong Kong’s beautiful culture and inspiring story.
So you have a dual goal: to embrace your new home in the UK and become part of this country, where you are very welcome, while never losing your Hong Kong identity.
I wish every Hong Konger who has moved to the UK every success. If there are challenges with which Hong Kong Watch can help – either through advocacy directly or by pointing you in the direction of others who can assist – please get in touch. We welcome you, and we are here to help you. You are not just our neighbour now, you are – or will be soon – our fellow citizens.
Benedict Rogers is co-founder and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch.
鳴謝協力：mei yuk
照片由Mr Benedict Rogers 提供
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