Too soon to tell if Hong Kong protests will spark new wave of immigration to Vancouver, observers say. Despite protests causing turmoil in Hong Kong, Vancouverites shouldn’t expect any new waves of immigration just yet, observers say. (maybe so, a drop off or not as big a 2nd, 3rd wave but that doesnt account for all the HK & Asian hedge city property investments by offshore owners/landlords speculating on Vancouver & BC real estate markets...) Its too early to say whether the current upheaval in Hong Kong will lead to a second wave of immigration to Vancouver, local observers say. But if there is a second wave, observers agree its unlikely to be as large as the wave that swept in 44,700 immigrants from Hong Kong in the lead-up to Chinas repossession of the city. “If there is a second wave of immigration (to Vancouver), it won’t be as strong as the last one,” said UBC’s Chinese intellectual history professor Josephine Chiu-Duke. While there was an increasing number of people immigrating from Hong Kong to Vancouver during the early 1990s, those numbers dropped to 15,700 the years following sovereignty. At the time, many middle-class citizens who tried to leave Hong Kong couldnt secure a job in Canada and had to return, Chiu-Duke noted. Unless the Canadian government is willing to grant special status and opportunities for people from Hong Kong coming into the country, civilians probably wouldn’t rush out of the region, she said. Tsuriel (Tsur) Somerville, UBC Sauder’s real estate finance professor, explained that after the surge of immigration from Hong Kong to Vancouver from 1986-1997, the numbers have dropped significantly. “There were people who left, certain stayed, so some people may reconsider their options,” said Somerville. “In the last 10-20 years, Hong Kong’s numbers (of people moving to Vancouver) have dropped dramatically and Mainland China’s immigration number increased dramatically,” he added. That assessment is reflected in the stats. In 2011, a study revealed that 74 per cent luxury homes in Richmond and Vancouver’s West Side were Mainland Chinese, and not from Hong Kong. vancouverobserver/news/too-soon-tell-if-hong-kong-protests-will-spark-new-wave-immigration-vancouver-observers-say
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 21:33:02 +0000
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