Turn to fellow migrants for emotional support, psychologists urge Hongkongers overseas after recent arrival commits suicide in UK
- Fion Ho, who killed herself months after moving to London, worried about her income and did not feel comfortable in her shared flat, brother tells inquest
- Hongkongers can feel overwhelmed when faced with finding jobs and housing overseas, so turning to other arrivals for help is critical, psychologists say
Hong Kong emigrants struggling to adapt to their new lives should reach out to the diaspora community for support, psychologists have said after the suicide of a 27-year-old woman who recently moved to London raised concerns about the hardships they faced.
An inquest into the death of Fion Ho Yee-king, who moved to London in April 2022, revealed last week the humanitarian worker suffered from insomnia, anxiety and depression.
Ho’s brother Tommy Ho Yiu-hang told the West London Coroner’s Court she had worried about her income and complained about a lack of hygiene in her shared flat just months before her suicide in November. He said he only learned the full extent of his sister’s circumstances after her death.
Her monthly rent of £900 (HK$8,725) was said to be a source of stress, and the inquest found she had a therapist’s appointment scheduled just days after her death.
She took a job at an NGO devoted to women’s rights, and a spokeswoman for the organisation said the Hongkonger was “extremely well-liked, respected and well-supported by her colleagues”. Ho took part in social events related to her work, she added.
“Just like her family, we were completely unaware of the struggles she was going through and distressed that she did not reach out for the help we could have provided,” the spokeswoman said.
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More than 150,600 Hongkongers applied for the BN(O) visa scheme between its launch on January 31, 2021, and September last year. Some 144,576 were successful.
Psychologists and an organiser for the diaspora community in London told the Post arrivals often faced challenges in finding housing and employment. If they were struggling, they should reach out to other Hongkongers for support, they said.
Hou Wai-kai, an associate professor of psychology at the Education University of Hong Kong, said migrants from the city could find their career prospects did not match their expectations.
“If [the migrants] think they are capable of a particular job, but there are no opportunities available, they will have to take up another job, which may cause a low level of satisfaction,” Hou said. “The discrepancy [with their former life] and comparison with peers back home could be stark.”
Simon Cheng Man-kit, founder of the support group Hongkongers in Britain, said housing and employment could present difficulties for arrivals, as they needed time to show potential landlords and employers they were reliable.
“You need one or two years to build up your credit history or track record to show that you’ve been with a stable job and have a good reputation of being able to pay,” Cheng said. “Then it will be easier to get your next job or a better house in the UK.”
Cheng added he rented his first home on Airbnb, as landlords on the tourist-friendly platform were often more flexible. After building a relationship with his landlord, he was able to secure a long-term rental contract for the same flat.
Paul Wong Wai-ching, an associate professor of social work at the University of Hong Kong, said migrants should not overstretch themselves when adjusting to an unfamiliar environment.
“[Migrants] shouldn’t force themselves to mesh with local culture as quickly as possible in order to prove to themselves they were a successful immigrant,” Wong said. “This form of stress could be an important contributing factor to depression.”
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Both psychologists and Cheng urged new arrivals to expand their social network to build support mechanisms and emphasised the importance of doing research beforehand on the situation immigrants faced in their adopted home to better understand what to expect.
Cheng noted Hong Kong migrants could access public financial resources and mental health support from the National Health Service under the BN(O) visa scheme.
“Migrants can always reach out to those with lots of experience, as they have a lot to share,” Wong said. “You don’t have to fight by yourself.”