Too many mainland immigrants coming into Hong Kong with one-way permits

While the one-way permit scheme is good, it does create several issues.

First, some 132 new arrivals come from the mainland each day. This figure in a city this small is too many.

Secondly, about 90 per cent of them have received secondary education or above, comparable to the local profile. However, our local university graduates are already struggling to find decent-paying jobs.

One of my former university classmates, after her recent unemployment, is still waiting to find a new job. These new arrivals will mean that it will be even more difficult for our local university graduates to get work. The problem is compounded by the likelihood that most local graduates are probably not fluent in Putonghua and a lot of companies here are expanding their offices or branches on the mainland.

Thirdly, how many of these people are actually trained in professions which Hong Kong needs, and of these, how many hold qualifications that are recognised or transferable to Hong Kong equivalents? For example: someone who was a lawyer on the mainland may be counted as tertiary-educated, but that does not mean that they will be able to contribute meaningfully, since they still have to take the postgraduate certificate in laws (PCLL) course in Hong Kong before they can take the law licensing exam, in order to practise as a solicitor.