London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

Hong Kongers packing to leave, this time for good

Disillusioned over the city’s future, people are leaving in droves as travel agencies, consultancies and airlines cash in

While Hong Kong’s travel sector has been hit hard as tourists from overseas stay away, they are making up for the drop in business as locals pack their bags and leave.

Hong Kong’s overall tourist arrivals plunged by as much as two-thirds in November, according to government data.

However, like the emerging upward swing in outbound trips as Hongkongers seek an escape overseas during the festive season from the incessant social turmoil at home, the city’s travel agencies have also found a lifeline as many executives and professionals have been packing their bags and leaving the city for good.

In the past, an exodus would always follow a major crisis or uncertainties engulfing Hong Kong, be it the collapse of talks between London and Beijing in the 1980s delineating the territory’s post-handover course, or the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing in June 1989.

In the midst of the current unrest ignited by a now-retracted China extradition bill, many Hongkongers, disillusioned with the city’s political future after more than two decades under Chinese rule, are determined to leave with their families and they have no plans to return, according to some travel agency managers and immigration consultants.

The trend is also borne out by the noticeable spike in the number of applications for Certificate of No Criminal Conviction received by the Hong Kong police since June, the beginning of the mass protests and pitched battles between demonstrators and constables due to the much-deplored extradition bill.

The police issued more than 31,000 such certificates, necessary when one takes up residence overseas, between June and mid-December, a 35% jump year-on-year.

While the deep-pocketed lay their eyes on destinations from Taipei to Toronto and San Francisco to Sydney, where there are sizable diasporas of Hong Kong emigrants, some wage earners and job starters are considering off-the-beaten-track nations like Malaysia, Greece and Portugal, lured by lower thresholds and less application red tape.

For instance, non-EU applicants can invest €350,000 in real estate, a modest lump sum compared with the requirements in Canada or Australia, to qualify for the right of abode, and they can then get Portuguese nationality after six years.

An applicant is only required to be psychically in the country for seven to 14 days in the initial years, and they can take their spouse, parents and children without the need to fill out separate applications.

Hong Kong papers report that travel agencies are rushing to cash in on the demand by launching guided tours to these countries, with week-long itineraries packed with visits to not only the tourist attractions, but also local real estate firms, schools and healthcare facilities. Some even offer full tour fare reimbursement if one’s subsequent application is successful.

One travel group has already received 70 inquiries, with places being snapped up, after it launched a themed tour to Lisbon and Porto departing during the Chinese New Year break at the end of January, according to the Ming Pao Daily.

Another immigration agency has also been inundated by inquiries with a five-fold increase in applications since June, compared with the same period a year ago, and Taiwan, Malaysia, Portugal and Ireland are among the most popular destinations.

Professor Paul Yip, Associate Dean of the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Social Sciences, said he was particularly worried that at a time when the city’s lure had largely waned amid the protracted protests, the wave of exits and the vote of no confidence by local professionals and middle-class families would deal a crippling blow to the city’s competitiveness.

Yip said that unlike the numerous Hongkongers who, after obtaining their Canadian or Australian citizenship, returned to the city for career advancement spurred by the booming economy and positive outlook for the future in the 1990s and 2000s, the worsening political climate had been a “push factor” and not too many who have already left or were planning to do so would miss their home city too much.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
×