Hong Kong’s continuing political unrest has led to a surge in applications from residents seeking to emigrate, including to Australia, and some migration agents are reporting a doubling in inquiries as the protests run into their third month. Australia was the top destination for Hong Kong emigrants in 2018 – nearly a third (2,400) of the 7,600 Hongkongers who left last year went to Australia.
Hong Kong migration agent John Hu said Australia had long been a preferred destination for emigrating Hongkongers, desired for its political stability, climate, similar time zone, and existing family links and Hong Kong diaspora.“The political climate is not easy here,” Hu, principal consultant with John Hu Migration Consulting, said. He said his business had experienced double-digit growth each year for the past five years, beginning when the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement occupied key city streets for 79 days.
“When protests start to bring unrest to Hong Kong, and as these protests have gone on for a long time, we have people ringing us up, they are becoming more and more determined to get a visa for what we call a ‘plan B’.
Hong Kong migration agent John Hu said Australia had long been a preferred destination for emigrating Hongkongers, desired for its political stability, climate, similar time zone, and existing family links and Hong Kong diaspora.“The political climate is not easy here,” Hu, principal consultant with John Hu Migration Consulting, said. He said his business had experienced double-digit growth each year for the past five years, beginning when the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement occupied key city streets for 79 days.
“When protests start to bring unrest to Hong Kong, and as these protests have gone on for a long time, we have people ringing us up, they are becoming more and more determined to get a visa for what we call a ‘plan B’.
