90% of Hong Kongers immigrating to Canada now choosing Vancouver

90% of Hong Kongers immigrating to Canada now choosing Metro Vancouver

The skylines of Hong Kong and Vancouver. (Shutterstock)

There was a small net increase in the number of Hong Kongers immigrating to Canada over the five-year period ending in 2021, according to Statistics Canada’s newly released census data.

The number of immigrants to Canada originating from Hong Kong increased from 71,720 in 2016 to 76,115 in 2021, representing a 2.4% increase or a growth of 4,915 Hong Kongers.

More significant is where these new Hong Kongers in Canada decided to reside. Of the total national figure, 90% or 4,395 Hong Kongers went to Metro Vancouver. They do not appear to be choosing the Greater Toronto Area.

The Vancouver region’s population of Hong Kong immigrants grew from 71,720 in 2016 to 76,115 in 2021, representing a 6.1% increase. This reverses a long-sustained falling population trend that first began in the late 1990s, with the volumes in more recent years representing a trickle compared to the tidal wave of volumes experienced in the 1980s and 1990s.

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As can be expected, Richmond saw the greatest number of new Hong Kong immigrants, based on the 2021 census — growing by 1,1155 to 24,340. This was followed by Vancouver, which saw an increase of 790 for a total of 25,485.

Hong Kongers also chose Surrey (up by 610 to 2,980), New Westminster (up by 435 to 815), Burnaby (up by 470 to 10,540), and Coquitlam (up by 435 to 4,985).

Canada, more specifically the Greater Toronto Area and Metro Vancouver, was one of the primary locations for those leaving Hong Kong in the 1980s and 1990s after it became clear Hong Kong’s status as a British colony was time-limited until 1997 and in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing in 1989.

The exodus out of Hong Kong quickly turned into a reversal of inflows returning to the city after the 1997 handover, when it became clear it was “business as usual” in how Hong Kong was governed under the “One Country, Two Systems” agreement with China — at least initially.

There has been a new exodus out of Hong Kong over the last few years due to political instability, the impact of the pandemic, and housing affordability issues.

Protests over the anti-extradition law starting in June 2019 physically incapacitated Hong Kong for months. Almost exactly a year later in June 2020, in response to the protests of 2019, Hong Kong and China enacted the National Security Law, which made secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign entities punishable under a new strict framework. The new law is particularly controversial as it effectively puts an end to Hong Kong’s long-established guarantees of freedom of speech for residents and media. Hundreds of activists have since been arrested, and even some media publications critical of the government have shut down.

Political uncertainty, the lack of guarantees of freedom, Hong Kong’s resulting weakening position as Asia’s financial hub, and strict coronavirus health safety measures that continue to this day are the driving factors for the new exodus. According to CNBC, it is estimated Hong Kong shed 93,000 residents in 2020, another 23,000 in 2021, and the largest surge of residents leaving the city is anticipated to occur in 2022.

In February 2021, the Canadian federal government enacted a new special immigration program that provides Hong Kong residents with a post-secondary education the ability to come to Canada under a work permit for up to three years. Additionally, Canada has offered new temporary streams for Hong Kong residents to gain permanent residence, including those who have graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution in the last three years, and those who have graduated from a post-secondary institution in Canada or abroad and have at least one year of work experience in the country.

Statistics from the federal government show the number of study and work permit applications in 2022 as of June reached 18,000 — up from nearly 6,000 in 2016 and approximately 29,000 in 2021.

“The launch of the Hong Kong immigration pathway is a historic initiative that will attract young, talented and experienced graduates who will help to drive Canada’s economy forward. With flexible open work permits and a fast-track to permanent residency, skilled Hong Kong residents will have a unique opportunity to develop their careers and help accelerate Canada’s economic recovery,” reads a federal government statement in February 2021.

“This is a landmark immigration initiative that will strengthen our economy and will deepen the ties between Canada and the people of Hong Kong.”

Australia, the US, and the UK have also offered new visa programs for residents fleeing Hong Kong. The UK’s British Nationals (Overseas) program has granted about 114,000 visas to Hong Kongers between January 2021 and March 2022, with the British federal government expecting to welcome up to 500,000 Hong Kongers based on the 5.4 million residents who are eligible. Others are also leaving for the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore.

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