Recent Migrant: Ryan Ngo (21) shares his thoughts on moving from Hong Kong to Brent

When did you move to the UK and why?

  • Our family moved to the UK in the summer of 2021 to study at universities in London. 

  • The reason why we decided to study and work in the UK is due to the availability of the BNO Visa Scheme. 

Where do you live now?

  • We currently live in Park Royal (NW10) under the administration of Brent Council. 

Have you connected with a Hong Kong / Chinese community in Brent?

  • Yes. We have befriended several neighbours from Hong Kong who live in our apartment (which is located in Brent). 

Do you find it easy to connect with your Hong Kong / Chinese heritage in Brent?

  • It is somewhat easy to connect with our Chinese in Brent. This is because there are numerous affordable Chinese supermarkets, restaurants, and food stores in the borough. However, aside from the widespread availability of Chinese food, it is not easy to experience other aspects of Chinese culture (such as Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn festival celebrations). This is because, unlike other boroughs such as Sutton or Islington, there are no Chinese community centres in Brent that organise such festival celebrations.

Do you shop for Hong Kong / Chinese food & ingredients and if so do you have favourite places to go in Brent or across London?

  • Oriental Spices Chinese Takeaway in Dollis Hill (NW10 2 ET), Brent, is our favourite place to go for Chinese-style fried rice. 

  • Loon Fung Alperton is our favourite place to go to for purchasing ready-made dim sum products and Chinese cooking ingredients (such as soya sauce). 

  • Hong Kong 555 Kitchen in Liverpool Street is our favourite place to go to for purchasing Hong Kong-style milk tea. 

  • Mama Li in Monument is our favourite place to go to for Cantonese Roast Meat. 

  • 1+1 Rougamo is our favourite place to go to for Xi’an Cold Noodles, Smoked Chicken and other Northern Chinese dishes. 

What do you miss about Hong Kong / China?

  • Cheaper costs of living (especially when it comes to rent, transportation and dining out). 

  • Affordable public swimming pools. (There aren’t many in London.) 

  • Reliable public transport. (Unlike London, bus and tube services in Hong Kong rarely suffer from delays or disruptions.) 

How is living in Brent different from living in Hong Kong / China and does it match your expectations?

  • Unlike Hong Kong, Brent is a very diverse borough. We have plenty of opportunities to befriend neighbours from various ethnic and religious groups. (eg. Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish)

  • We get to enjoy cuisine from almost every corner of the world, including Brazilian and Persian food. This is outside our expectations, as Brazilian and Persian restaurants are virtually non-existent in Hong Kong. 

What do you already know about the history of the Chinese community in Brent and the UK?

  • We don’t know much about the history of the Chinese community in Brent and the UK. But we know Chinese people in London tend to have more educational qualifications and higher socioeconomic statuses than Native White British people. They are often viewed as a “model minority”. 

  • We know that the earliest Chinese migrants (who migrated to UK in the second half of the 20th century) tended to congregate together near Chinatown and often made a living through opening Chinese restaurants or  Chinese takeaway shops. 

Side note: Britain & Hong Kong

In 1997, after over 150 years, Britain returned authority to China, with Hong Kong becoming a special administrative region under the "one country, two systems" principle. 

More Hong Kong residents moved to the UK in the 2020s due to China's imposition of the National Security Law in 2020, which eroded democratic freedoms, and the UK's subsequent introduction of the British National (Overseas) visa in 2021.

This visa scheme provides a path to live, work, and potentially settle in the UK for people with British National Overseas (BN(O)) status.