Manchester-based Hong Kong groups write to incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham on integration, employment, and the future of the BN(O) route
Ahead of Andy Burnham MP’s expected confirmation as the incoming UK Prime Minister on 20 July, Hong Kong Watch led a cohort of Manchester-based Hong Kong civil society groups in writing to Mr Burnham on behalf of the Hong Kong community in the North West of England, urging him to become a national voice for the Hong Kong community’s integration and to protect the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route from new restrictions.
The letter notes that since 2021 approximately 40,000 Hong Kongers have moved to the North West on the BN(O) scheme, with Greater Manchester attracting more Hong Kongers than anywhere outside London.
As one of the most highly skilled immigrant communities to arrive in the UK in recent years, Hong Kongers bring qualifications and professional experience that the signatories argue have yet to be put to full use, particularly in areas outside of London. BN(O)s in the North West detail their struggle to access jobs matching their professional qualifications, compounded by unrecognised qualifications, unfamiliar recruitment practices, and limited employer awareness of the scheme and BN(O)s’ right to work.
The letter raises particular alarm over the Home Office’s proposed ‘earned settlement’ rules, which might impose higher language and annual earnings requirements on BN(O) visa holders. A retrospective earnings threshold of £12,570 a year for three years, the signatories warn, would punish retirees, stay-at-home parents, and those who took career breaks to reskill in a new employment environment. They call on the incoming Prime Minister to guarantee that the BN(O) route and its pathway to citizenship will not be subjected to retrospective linguistic and financial barriers.
Specifically, the signatories call on Mr Burnham to:
Champion mutual recognition of overseas professional qualifications, so that Hong Kongers’ skills and experience are properly valued in the UK labour market.
Fund employer-facing mentoring and bridging-to-work schemes to help skilled Hong Kong arrivals move into roles that match their qualifications.
Ensure job centres and career services understand the Hong Kong community’s needs, closing gaps in employment support that leave many Hong Kongers underemployed.
Meet regularly with Hong Kong civil society, so that the community’s concerns reach the Government directly.
The letter closes with a request for a meeting with Mr Burnham, or a member of his incoming Cabinet, within his first hundred days in office, to discuss how best to support the Hong Kong community in the North West of England.
Read the full letter here.
香港監察聯同曼城港人團體去信下任英揆大熱貝安德 呼籲支援港人融入就業市場、確保BNO免受新定居規定影響
有見前任大曼徹斯特市長、新任美迦菲選區國會議員貝安德（Andy Burnham MP）預計將於7月20日接任英國首相，香港監察帶領曼城港人民間團體代表英格蘭西北部港人社群去信貝安德，促請他在國家層面為港人社群融入社會發聲，並確保BNO簽證計劃免受新定居限制影響。
信中指出，自2021年起，約有4萬名香港人循BNO計劃移居西北英格蘭，其中大曼城比任何倫敦以外地區更吸引香港人居住。
香港人是近年抵英的高技能移民群體之一，為英國帶來資歷和專業經驗，但聯署團體認為，這些優勢未獲充分運用，特別是在倫敦以外地區。西北英格蘭BNO港人詳述尋找符合自己專業資歷工作的困難，加上資歷未獲認可、不諳招聘慣例，以及僱主對BNO計劃及工作權利的認識有限。
信中特別關注內政部提出的「賺取式定居」（earned settlement）規定，有關規定可能會對BNO簽證持有人加諸更高語言和年收入要求。聯署團體警告，若有追溯效力地增設連續三年達到每年12,570英鎊的收入門檻，則將懲罰退休人士、全職照顧家庭父母，以及在新就業環境休長假進修的人士。團體呼籲新任首相保證BNO簽證及入籍途徑不會受到有追溯效力的語言和財政障礙影響。
聯署團體具體呼籲貝安德：
推動海外專業資歷互相認可，讓香港人的技能和經驗在英國勞動市場得到適當重視。
資助僱主指導及就業銜接計劃，協助具備專業技能的香港移民轉投符合自己資歷的工作。
確保就業中心和職業服務機構理解港人社群的需要，填補令很多就業不足的就業支援缺口。
定期會見港人民間團體，讓港人疑慮直接傳達給政府。
信中最後請求在貝安德上任一百日內，與他本人或新任內閣成員會面，討論如何最有效支援英格蘭西北部港人社群。
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