The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has pledged to organize more workshops, revamp media promotion and enhance reach-out activities to help newly arrived professionals fit into the city more easily.
The initiatives, discussed at a Legislative Council (LegCo) subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, will emphasize cultural adaptation, community engagement and anti-fraud education, aiming to strengthen the city’s appeal as a global talent hub while fostering social cohesion.
Since the city announced its endeavor to trawl for and retain talent in late 2022, more than 450,000 applications had been submitted through diverse talent admission programs, of which around 290,000 were approved, leading to an estimated 196,000 professionals and their families arriving in Hong Kong, according to the government.
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A document submitted to the LegCo Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Facilitating Quick Integration of New Migrant Talents into Hong Kong, by Hong Kong Talent Engage — a government-run support platform launched in late 2023 — introduced current top priorities, including revamping its online portal with a new chatbot and more interactive living guides, and expanding social media outreach across platforms like Xiaohongshu and WeChat to provide practical advice on Cantonese learning and anti-scam education resources.
This year, the platform plans to conduct more than 55 workshops and seminars, offering small-group Cantonese classes centered on local customs and etiquette, and enhance its network of collaborators to aid newcomers in settling effectively in various aspects of life in Hong Kong.
Also in the document, the Home Affairs Department has promised to enhance its support by funding district-level integration activities, such as the Ambassador Scheme — a program that pairs new arrivals with mentors for personalized guidance.
The department has also allocated resources to subsidize local groups hosting a variety of integration events, benefiting over 50,000 newcomers annually.
During the LegCo meeting, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare Ho Kai-ming emphasized leveraging key opinion leaders and exploring approaches to amplify outreach efforts.
He cited a short video uploaded to Xiaohongshu recently, in which Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han was invited to introduce the services of Talent Engages, and in which Sun suggested that the government should generate more interesting content and intensify its publicity efforts.
In response to the rising number of fraud cases targeting new arrivals, the Hong Kong Police Force has intensified anti-scam campaigns tailored for new arrivals through multiple channels, such as distributing multilingual pamphlets and leveraging social media to raise the alert against impersonation scams.
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The Force has organized joint workshops with Talent Engage, and established a 24/7 Anti-Scam Helpline (18222) to further safeguard newcomers.
At the meeting, Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip detailed anti-fraud procedures for newcomers, such as mandating visa applicants to watch educational videos on scam prevention and requiring them to attend relevant seminars after their arrival.
Cheuk also noted the anti-fraud measures taken by other bodies such as universities, saying the multi-sectoral approach demonstrates Hong Kong’s commitment to enhance the city’s appeal to global talent.
Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com
