This reads like propaganda.
It is worth noting that the ones who chose to return had the unfortunate circumstance of not having transferable skills and ended up working low paying jobs compared to what they had at home. Most of the people who had transferable skills have good paying jobs and are living comfortably. Most of the people surveyed also said they did not wish to return. I’m guessing someone who chose to move did not like their present circumstances in the first place so it’s not surprising that the majority want to stay.
The article doesn’t say anything of the sort.
Heather Rolfe, director of research at British Future, said that, despite their high level of education, many HK migrants were likely to be unemployed or working in jobs below their skill level. They are filling gaps in sectors, including retail and wholesale, information technology, education and hospitality, she said.
Right, transferable doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be highly educated or skilled, just that there are opportunities available for that skill that need to be filled. Hence it was also mentioned in the article that the lorry driver who moved had no issues finding a similar job with the same pay. Sometimes it boils down to what opportunities are available, not necessarily how educated or highly skilled you are. Another example the article states is that professionals like doctors and lawyers who obtained qualifications from UK-affiliated bodies had it easier. Those who didn’t obtain those qualifications have skills that aren’t immediately transferable due to having different standards in HK and UK. So a lawyer in HK for example can’t just go to the UK and immediately practice there. Some doctors may transition to nurses because of lower requirements.
There is zero basis for your assertion that majority of immigrants weren’t able to find jobs their skills aren’t transferable. This affects certain professions to be sure, however plenty of people like software developers have skills that are very much transferable. Drivers are able to find jobs because those are the kinds of low paying jobs immigrants get, not because their other skills weren’t useful. And yes it very much does boil down to opportunities available, which in UK are slim to none even for people born there.
If you’re going to claim that lack of transferable skills was the core issue, then do provide a source to support your assertion.
