Hong Kong needs rational debate on immigration
Minority bashing is never edifying and becomes even less so when politicians join a bandwagon seeking to exploit the fears and uncertainties of society for their own dismal purposes.
Such fears, both real and imagined, are swirling around Hong Kong right now as political opportunists vie to install themselves in the vanguard of the highly popular campaign to halt a 'locust' invasion of mothers from the mainland. Added to this is a related push to spread alarm over attempts by foreign domestic workers to free themselves from restrictions on their rights to residence.
All this is happening in one of the world's most overwhelmingly immigrant societies. The vast majority of Hong Kong residents are first- or second-generation immigrants from the mainland. They came here to seek a better life and were quite prepared to work hard to achieve it. Many of them entered Hong Kong illegally and took very real risks to ensure that, even if they did not prosper, their children would have the chance of a better life.
Does any of this ring a bell? Are the mainland mothers bad people because they are rushing to Hong Kong hospitals to give birth so that their children can acquire local resident rights? And what of the overseas domestic workers who work hard to pay for their children's schooling and maybe buy a home? Don't their determination and work ethic strike a chord among Hong Kong people?
At this point, many readers will undoubtedly be shaking their heads and saying, 'Get real, Hong Kong is a tiny place and we can't have everyone coming here exploiting our system for their own ends'. They have a point; Hong Kong can hardly fling open its doors to all comers.
So, there needs to be a rational discussion over the vexed issues of immigration and rights of settlement. Instead, we are witnessing something approaching hysteria in certain quarters. People who occupy leadership positions are lamentably showing few signs of wanting a measured debate and instead are scheming over how to wring maximum advantage by preying on people's fears.
If immigration is going to be reviewed - as it should be - this must include a proper debate over the issue of one-way travel permits that allow 150 mainland people per day to emigrate to Hong Kong without the city's government having any say in this matter. It would also need to include a proper discussion of the status of the large section of the population holding Hong Kong passports alongside those of overseas countries.
Then there needs to be a proper review of the rights of residence of children born in Hong Kong to mainland parents. This is likely to show that without the drastic step of changing the Basic Law, restrictions can still be imposed.
None of this is easy, nor is it easy for Hong Kong to glibly say that there can be no reconsideration of the human rights of a large underclass of foreign domestic helpers when it comes to immigration policy. Maybe foreign bankers, widely despised elsewhere in the world, could have similar restrictions placed on their rights of settlement. OK, that's not going to happen, but maybe there should be a review of the scheme to offer residence in return for luxury property purchases.
The point is that there is a serious discussion to be had and if it is conducted by yelling about 'locusts' and 'floods' of domestic helpers and their families settling in Hong Kong, it is unlikely to produce a sensible result.
Hong Kong is hardly alone in having to tackle immigration questions. They figure large in many societies and so does the ugly political rhetoric that accompanies this debate.
As matters stand, we have been spared the worst excesses of these debates but things are heading in an ugly direction. It would be a relief to report that the mainstream pro-democracy camp, normally more alert to human rights issues, is pressing for a rational discussion but even the Democratic Party seems to have joined the minority-bashing fray.
The time to call a pause is now. It is very easy for a debate like this to get out of control.
Stephen Vines is a Hong Kong-based journalist and entrepreneur
