London's Regent Street has been illuminated with Archangel illuminations in November, and the Christmas Day atmosphere is strong.
Christmas is approaching, Regent Street and Oxford Street in London, England have been lit up with archangel lights and star lights, and Christmas trees and various lights are also arranged in various markets, making the festive atmosphere strong. However, while local people go out shopping with their relatives and friends, many Hong Kong people who have moved to the UK with British National (Overseas) Passport (BNO) do not feel the joy of the festival. Before immigrating, they had a beautiful vision of a new life, but after arriving in the UK, their quality of life did not rise or fall compared with Hong Kong, and the practical setbacks such as employment difficulties, racial discrimination, and inconvenient life broke their illusions again and again.
The UK relaxed the conditions for BNO naturalization from the end of January this year, attracting a large number of Hong Kong people to move. According to reports, as of September this year, there were 88,000 applications to move to the UK, and a total of 184,000 foreigners applied to work in the UK during the same period, meaning that Hong Kong people have become one of the largest groups of immigrants in the UK in recent times. The influx of a large number of immigrants in a short period of time will inevitably compete with local people for resources, resulting in an imbalance in the distribution of public resources. Sky News recently interviewed a number of people who moved to The United Kingdom and Hong Kong, revealing their real living conditions and feelings.
The seizure of local resources is frequently discriminated against
Mr Choi, who has been living in the UK for more than 10 years and is now helping recent immigrants settle in Sutton, south London, said many locals are feeling that there are many new faces on the streets, especially Asian faces. The Sutton area can commute by public railway, making it an option for many new arrivals.
In the face of a large influx of immigrants, some locals will feel angry because of the occupation of public resources, coupled with the unemployment caused by the epidemic and the decline in quality of life, they will feel that new immigrants have stolen job opportunities, which has led to social conflicts and ethnic conflicts. There are already quite a few British people on the Internet clamoring, saying, "We don't have enough houses and jobs for ourselves, not to mention these foreigners are still fighting!" More netizens said bluntly, "Maybe those who use false promises to lure you here (the British government) are just for the money!"
Mr. Huang, whose family has just settled in Sutton, said his daughter was fortunate enough to receive a degree as soon as she arrived, but most immigrant families are still looking for degree vacancies everywhere. Many other families said that their children had difficulties in choosing a school and in the classroom due to differences in language, culture and academic system.
Migrants are difficult to find a room for employment
The bigger challenge these Hong Kong people face when they arrive in the UK is employment and housing issues. In the UK, a credit history is generally required for individual social activities, with proof of residence and proof of employment being particularly important. Most of the new immigrants in Hong Kong are caught in a vicious spiral of these two.
A woman who did not want to be named said that most of the people who have moved to The UK have no work or study experience in the UK, and British employers are generally reluctant to hire them, even if they are willing to hire Hong Kong people, most of the positions are low-paid and low-skilled temporary labor types, and the salary level and work treatment are completely incomparable with Hong Kong.
In addition, due to the lack of proof of fixed jobs, many British owners refuse to rent their houses to Hong Kong people, even if they are willing to rent, the conditions are more stringent than the locals, some owners require Hong Kong people to pay rent for up to one year in advance, and the price is often higher than that of locals.
Under these circumstances, some Hong Kong people end up running out of savings and need to sleep on the streets. The man under the pseudonym Enoch is one example. Enoch waved the British flag outside the British Consulate General in Hong Kong in 2019, shouting for the British government to ease BNO immigration restrictions. He said that after learning in January that the UK would implement the BNO relocation plan for Hong Kong people, he rushed to pack his bags and fly to the UK immediately. But unable to find a job for a long time, he quickly ran out of his savings of £100,000 (about HK$104,000). Enoch said: "I came to England with hope, but I was betrayed by the British government and all hopes were shattered. "Enoch is now homeless, living on the streets and living on the relief of the food bank. At the end of the interview, Enoch said in frustration: "I don't see the future now, I struggle every day. Where am I going to sleep and where will I be tomorrow? I have lost hope. ”
Ordinary family expenses soared by 20,000 yuan a year
On the occasion of Christmas, the people of all Western countries look forward to celebrating the festival and welcoming the arrival of the new year. But for the British, this Christmas may not be good.
Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain chaos, domestic labor shortages and other factors, the UK has experienced significant inflation that has not been seen in many years this year. According to the latest statistics, the UK's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 5.1% year-on-year in November, a 10-year high. Natural gas prices soared 23 percent and gasoline prices rose 29.5 percent. Alcoholic beverages and artificial butter, which are essential for the British holiday, rose by 8.3% and 15.6% respectively.
Faced with the dilemma, engineer Stefan said that due to the huge changes in the prices of food, groceries and other goods, it now costs almost twice as much to support a family every week. As recently as October, British regulator Ofgem raised the ceiling on residential electricity prices at £1,277 per household per year, an increase of 12%. Labour pointed out that the average UK household will lose £2,000 (about HK$20,000) to inflation each year.
In addition, since the beginning of the year, the average house price in the UK has risen by more than 10%, rents have risen steadily, and many tenants have been evicted by landlords. According to the charity Shelter, there are currently more than 274,000 people in England who are homeless, including 126,000 children. In London, one in every 53 people is a tramp. The agency described the figures as "shameful" and warned that as the outbreak continues, a large number of shelters have been forced to close, and there is a fear that there will be vagrants who will freeze to death because they cannot survive the cold.
In the face of the upcoming 2022, all walks of life in the UK are generally not optimistic about the future. 85% of british citizens expect food and grocery prices to continue to rise in the coming year. The Bank of England expects inflation in the UK to reach 5% next year, with necessities such as food, energy and housing remaining high.
Source: Ta Kung Pao