Hongkongers in UK stuck in jobs far below their abilities, study finds

Many Hongkongers settling in Britain under a bespoke immigration pathway are working in jobs that fail to fully utilise their previous professional skills and qualifications, according to a study that interviewed nearly 100 people.

The report cited cases of Hongkongers struggling to leverage their past skills in the British economy, such as an accountant working in a kitchen and former information technology and insurance employees taking warehouse jobs.

The UK-based think tank British Future and umbrella group the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers, which published the document in October, urged the British government to address the wastage of Hongkongers’ skills.

The United Kingdom rolled out the immigration pathway after Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020 to ban acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers following the anti-government protests in 2019.

The interviews were conducted early this year and included jobless respondents, those in temporary work and people in positions that did not align with their skills, among others.