TNAG-1839-FCO40-2614-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 80

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DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)

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47.

for these trends.

There are likely to be a number of different reasons

Uncertainty about the future is

undoubtedly one factor in people's decisions to emigrate.

But population mobility has long been a feature of Hong

Kong: many of the territory's residents migrated from

China and elsewhere and there is a well established

tradition of going overseas for education, training,

career development and permanent settlement. Another

relevant factor is the increased opportunities for

immigration available in the main destination countries

(the United States, Canada and Australia).

48. The present net outflow of skilled and professional

people is less than the number of newly qualified people

who enter the job market from the universities and other

tertiary institutions. The overall impact of emigration

on the economy is not serious, although shortages of

skilled personnel are being experienced by some companies

in certain sectors. The Hong Kong Government estimate,

however, that if the present net outflow were to continue

for some years, there could be some loss of efficiency.

They are therefore planning a series of measures designed

to contain the effects of emigration, such as more

emphasis on training in the areas where there are

shortages of skilled people; or the establishment of

international schools to make it easier for people

settled abroad to return to Hong Kong with their

families. They are also seeking to make Hong Kong a more

attractive place for people to live and work, by steadily

improving the standard and quality of life in the

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