Russians in Hong Kong - Migration History

Migration History

White Russians in the pre-World War II period were looked down upon by the British; their lifestyles, employment, and poverty were seen to "undermine 'white privilege'", and other Europeans tried to avoid any interaction with them. Nevertheless, some were also hired on to Royal Hong Kong Police Force, though they were paid less than other Europeans; at one point, Russians composed 12-15% of all Europeans in the Hong Kong police. In the 1950s, the People's Republic of China threatened to deport all the White Russians from its territory to Hong Kong; in the end, they relented, and only deported those who had been able to secure a final destination outside of Hong Kong. A site for a refugee camp had been picked out for them at Chi Ma Wan on Lantau Island, but it was never built.