Interview with Brian Hall | ‘Migrants do make a great contribution to Macau’

Brian Hall

Dr Brian Hall, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Macau’s Faculty of Social Sciences, recently published his research findings in British medical journal The Lancet. An article entitled “Africans in South China Face Social and Structural Health Barriers” was chiefly authored by Dr Hall. The work places an emphasis upon health issues facing Africans living in Guangzhou and other parts of southern China.
According to Dr Hall, the number of migrants in Macau is about 140,000, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total population. 46 percent are from the mainland, which is followed by the second largest group, Filipinos. Among the migrants, 20,000 are domestic helpers.

Macau Daily Times (MDT) – Based on your recent research on Africans living in Guangzhou, are there any similarities and differences between migrants in the mainland and migrants in Macau?
Brian Hall (BH) – I was working on the African migrants in Guangzhou [capital city of Guangdong province]. They are primarily traders. They go to Guangzhou or any mega cities in the mainland to conduct trade. So their primary focus is to develop opportunities for trade. And their sources are good – there are factories owned by Chinese that they work with. They take goods from the factories and import them back to Africa. So the Africans actually make money in the African countries but not in the Chinese mainland. Therefore in terms of seeking economic prosperity, and being able to send money back to their families in their countries, they are similar to migrant workers in Macau.
I think with domestic helpers in Macau, the difficulty is that they don’t make exceptionally large sums of money. Macau is becoming a very expensive city. So being able to own an apartment or being able to really integrate themselves would be more problematic. The African migrants, in contrast, have higher financial benefits. A successful trader from Africa who lives in China can make a great deal of money. But the domestic helper or a low-paid service employee in Macau wouldn’t have that advantage.

Angolan trader Mike (left) bargains with Ms Zhou, a Chinese retailer in a wholesale market in Xiaobei Road, a commercial area in Guangzhou

MDT – What are the reasons for migrants to move to Macau?
BH – Migration globally is driven by different factors. Economic factors: they feel like if they move to a different place they are going to have greater economic advantages. But also, in terms of the Filipino group, political stability and also climate change are major drivers of global migration. As for mainlanders, they are seeking an opportunity. So I think the main drivers for them might be economic ones.

MDT – How about their living conditions?
BH – The issue of housing is where we all share a similar experience. For migrant workers who live here, they are challenged by the expenses. So a lot of them actually share housing. Unlike (domestic helpers) in Hong Kong, the domestic population here can choose to live outside of the (employer’s) home. I heard that they have to share an apartment with three to four people.
I think it’s positive that they could live outside their employer’s home. But a negative is that the housing price is so high that they might have to live with more than three people in a flat.

MDT – Are they facing physical or psychological problems?
BH – Issues faced by these communities around the world include loneliness and psychological wellbeing. Loneliness comes because they’re separated from families. Many domestic workers are from the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, which are the three major countries sending domestic helpers here. Their own children are seen as orphans compared to the children of their employers. So it creates a burden or stress on (migrants’) families. And marital relations as well; some of them working in the service industries are able to bring husbands with them. Otherwise they are separated from their husbands. That could be a major source of stress. Therefore the stress may due to a lack of finding a home in a place they live.
Those with depression can also develop issues related to substance abuse, such as alcohol use. There’s no study in Macau in this field. But it has been seen in other migrant communities elsewhere. So it’s the motivation for us to learn about the issue here. It’s unclear whether healthcare needs are being met and whether or not domestic workers are particularly included in social welfare schemes and health schemes in Macau.

MDT – In your opinion, what is the proper way for a city to treat its migrants?
BH – As a start, a city should recognize the importance of the contribution of all people to society. Migrants do make a great contribution to Macau.
I will give an example about a person who has a domestic helper who has quit; an entire family could be turned upside down in terms of getting childcare and household duties done. I think people here rely on domestic helpers quite a lot. (…) It’s complicated. To understand both sides, the health and needs of the migrant population but also local needs, are very important. It’s not just a one-sided issue.