With many people from Hong Kong and Ukraine coming to the North West to build a new life, Mandira Hughes, Employment Project Manager for the Regional Strategic Migration Partnership, talks to Simon Cronin about their need to find work and the benefits they bring to the workplace.
As journalists and politicians focus on people entering the UK illegally, those who have come to the country legally and have permission to remain are often forgotten.
In recent years, many of these people have come from Hong Kong and Ukraine and are trying to find work and build a new life in this country as they can no longer stay in their own. Many of them are coming to the North West and Greater Manchester in particular.
Currently on secondment from the Growth Company to the Regional Strategic Migration Partnership (RSMP), Mandira (pictured) was previously an Employer Engagement Consultant on the Work and Health programme. The RSMP, which is hosted by Manchester City Council, acts as an advisory service for people with forced migrant backgrounds and has 12 Welcome Hubs across the UK.
Mandira says: “When the opportunity for the position at RSMP came up, due to my interest in humanitarian causes, I applied for it immediately. I truly believe that employment is the final step to total integration in the UK and this can be mutually beneficial to everyone.
“I advise businesses on the benefits of hiring people with a forced migrant backgrounds, then in turn I will broker and promote their vacancies to the Welcome Hubs. I predominately work with Hong Kongers on the BNO (British National Overseas) Visa.”
She adds: “The reason this group is overlooked is that they have to rely on their own savings and aren’t getting any support from the state. They have to pay to use the NHS, so they don’t make the headlines. Although they have permission to stay that isn’t the end of the story, they still need help finding a job so they can start to build a new life here. Their savings won’t last forever and they need to find work.”
Instead of using terms like ‘refugees’ or ‘asylum seekers’ Mandira prefers ‘New Mancunians’ and emphasises Manchester’s long history of welcoming people from around the world. She also points out that those coming from Hong Kong prefer to be called ‘Hong Kongers’ rather than Chinese.
She is a passionate advocate for Hong Kongers, saying they are highly motivated to finding work, are skilled and make great employees, although they do sometimes need help adjusting to the cultural differences of the life UK.
“Many employers assume that Ukrainians will speak the best English, but in fact it is the Hong Kongers who are the most fluent in English,” she explains, “But Hong Kongers do have some cultural differences which can make interviews difficult for them. In their culture it’s rude to make eye contact and they don’t make the small talk which British people expect. We need to make employers aware of this, but once they start work they are excellent employees. Those coming to the UK also have to recognise that we are a diverse country and adapt to that.”
She adds: “Ukrainians are hopeful that they will one day be able to return to their own country when the situation improves, but Hong Kongers don’t expect that and are planning to make their life here.”
She warns people in the UK should not be complacent and assume forced migration could never happen to them as the war in Ukraine has shown how people’s lives can suddenly be turned upside down.
“This situation could happen to any of us. We could end up being forced to leave our own country and start a new life where we don’t know the language and culture.”
If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of employing someone from Hong Kong, email mandira.hughes@manchester.gov.uk.
Case Study
In September 2022, Mr C arrived in the UK on the BNO visa. He engaged with Trafford Hong Kongers for support.
In May 2023, Mr C attended an employment focus group ran by the Regional Strategic Migration Partnership. He received employment advice and support from their employment project manager. Mr C was given information about job opportunities from local employers who were open to hiring BNO visa migrants. Mr C was looking for high level admin work due to his work history in Hong Kong.
Whilst in this focus group, he signed up to the Work and Health programme with an integration coordinator from the Growth Company. When Mr C was assigned a keyworker from the Growth Company Manchester office, they liaised with an Employer Engagement Consultant who put them in touch with Aspire. Aspire registered Mr C and showed him their job current opportunities. One of which was Manchester University. The following week, Mr C started work there as an administrator.