How do recent Hong Kong and Vietnamese immigrants access the UK labour market? A comparative analysis of formal and informal arrival infrastructures

This article is based on a comparison of two divergent cases – recent migrants from Hong Kong and Vietnam – to identify the multiple and intersecting employment challenges and opportunities facing recent migrants in post-Brexit Britain. We argue for a political economy perspective on the emerging ‘arrival infrastructure’ literature which helps explain how formal and informal structures shape, enable and constrict newcomers in their goals of finding work. Empirically, we highlight how the relative advantages of newcomers from Hong Kong do not translate into desirable work outcomes, in contrast to recent Vietnamese migrants who have carved out a niche in the market for themselves, despite their apparently disadvantaged starting position. By comparing the arrival experiences of migrants of contrasting immigration statuses, we elucidate how market forces loom large in determining what kind of arrival infrastructure migrants can engage with under different circumstances and constraints.