Opinion | Hong Kong needs real talent, not troublemakers and misfits
The city should recalibrate its talent admission policies to ensure they attract the best and brightest and can’t be exploited by bad actors
Reflecting the government’s resolve to attract talent, the scheme is highly applicant-friendly. It represents a kind of “open door policy” for immigration.
The government has moved to fast-track immigration for talented professionals through other efforts as well. Since 2022, the city has received 500,000 applications under various talent admission schemes. It has approved 330,000 of them; 220,000 applicants have arrived.
Hong Kong clearly wants to entice qualified applicants to arrive as soon as possible and let them know that the city welcomes them with open arms. The scheme has opened the floodgates to immigration and has become a strong magnet, drawing a large number of talented professionals from mainland China.
Given the mainland’s relatively subdued economic growth, Hong Kong has become an attractive alternative for young professionals. This explains why the number of applicants has exceeded the originally announced target.
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