No real incentives to return to Macau, residents abroad say

As part of the local government’s effort to facilitate the economic diversification of Macau, the authorities have repeatedly stated that they hope local talents studying and living abroad will return to Macau and contribute their skills to the region’s development.

To understand the will and expectations of the target population, The Times interviewed a series of Macau permanent residents living and working abroad, as well as some local parents with children abroad, to gather their thoughts and opinions on the feasibility of such a plan.

In general, those interviewed by The Times said that the lack of real incentive policies, excessive bureaucracy, housing issues, and a lack of learning and career development opportunities, among other factors, were the main reasons for excluding Macau from their plans.

Miguel Martins, a Portuguese resident of Macau, returned to Portugal at the age of 16 to pursue his medical studies.

Now a medical doctor specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Martins returns to Macau occasionally during his holidays. Still, he is far from planning a return to live and work here.

“To be honest, I’m not very familiar with the current situation in my field there, but I believe there’s a need for physicians and other medical specialists. Still, I’d hardly consider going back. It’s not that conditions here in Portugal are perfect, but if I were to leave, I’d likely find much better working conditions in other European countries rather than Macau,” Martins said.

“On top of this there is the language barriers, excessive bureaucracy, and ever-increasing housing prices. It simply would not pay off to be away from your family,” he said.

To The Times, he also noted that, besides the “talk” from the government, there are no real policies or incentive measures, recalling the known difficulties in previous attempts by the local government to recruit medical professionals in Portugal, as well as the requirements for internships and other hassles that, in his opinion, are not justifiable.

“Another important point is the professional career path. If I were to go to Macau, I would probably arrive with more experience and knowledge than most of those working there. How would I learn? It would stagnate my professional growth,” he concluded, adding that in Portugal, particularly in the northern part of the country, the quality of life is incomparably better.

Born and raised in Macau, with ancestry on both the Chinese and Portuguese sides, a different interviewee – a PhD holder in civil engineering, currently working in the UK – agreed to share his opinion on the condition of remaining anonymous.

To The Times, he claimed that the lack of opportunities for career growth in Macau is the biggest obstacle to the potential return of highly qualified young people.

“In my opinion, opportunities for young people with high qualifications to return to Macau to work are limited because the job sectors are mainly restricted to gambling and tourism,” he said. “Another aspect to consider is that there is generally no satisfactory career progression to encourage young people to return, which further limits their ability to afford the cost of living and housing in Macau, which is also relatively high,” he added.

Agreeing with most of Martins’ points, except on the language barrier since he is trilingual, this interviewee also noted that bureaucracy and the lack of a qualification recognition system hinder the willingness of those considering returning.

“The absence of a system of mutual recognition for the qualifications of young people registered with foreign professional boards requires them to be reevaluated locally, thereby constituting a barrier to the entry of highly qualified professionals, even non-locals,” he said.

Suggesting solutions to overcome some of these issues and increase Macau’s attraction factor, the interviewee noted that the government should start by recognizing qualifications.

“This would be the first step toward creating an attractive working environment for young people, not only for those abroad but also to retain some who are currently in Macau and might be thinking of moving abroad.”

Living in Australia since 2019, local resident surnamed Sin also says she has no plans to return permanently to the city where she was born.

Like previous interviewees, she believes that, at the moment, Macau lacks incentives that could spark the interest of those abroad in returning.

“I have settled permanently in Australia, so I don’t plan to return to Macau to live or work for good, but I will definitely visit family and go there for holidays,” Sin told the Times.

Not aware of any incentives currently in place, she said that as Macau develops, there is a possibility the future will bring more attractive opportunities.

“As Macau develops, I am certain there will be good career opportunities in Macau. However, I’ve studied and lived abroad for six years, and I am unaware of any government incentives in that regard.”

Similarly, housing is also an essential issue for Sin, who noted that this factor can play a decisive role in the return of some residents currently living abroad.

“I think any support in securing accommodation (e.g., buying an affordable house or apartment) would be great,” she remarked, noting that other incentive measures that could help attract residents might include subsidized interest rates, mortgage subsidies, and other policies that could directly support livelihoods.

Current situation made some parents lose hope

Choi is a 72-year-old resident living with his wife in Macau’s central district. With a daughter in her 40s and a son in his mid-30s, both living abroad, he told The Times that he has lost hope of seeing his children return.

He recalled that when they first went abroad, he used to call them frequently, asking them to return to Macau. However, it became especially difficult as they started their own families and had children. Choi mentioned that his daughter – a teacher – has two kids and his son – a computer programmer – has one. Both live in Canada, but in different cities that are not far from each other.

“To be honest, as I am running my small business – a small store that sells souvenirs, drinks, and some essential grocery products – with the help of my wife, I speak with many people and hear many opinions. At some point, maybe around 2016 or 2017, I decided to stop pressuring them to return. This happened because I understood that every time they came to visit us (typically every year or every two years), they would find us and Macau in a worsening situation,” said Choi.

“We are living with many more difficulties now than we did in the early 2000s or even the late 1990s. If I had to place our current livelihood situation in time, I would say we are more or less where we were in the late 1980s. How can I ask them to return? That was the time I had to work outside Macau, too. I went to Hong Kong to work at Kai Tak Airport, but I had to do it, too. I am not being fair if I keep asking them to return. […] There is nothing for them here,” he added.

The business owner also noted that, in the past, the couple used to live in a small partition just behind the store while they were landlords of an apartment they owned in a building just some 50 meters away from the store for extra income. However, since 2023, they have stopped renting out the place, made some minor renovations, and are now living in it.

Choi’s wife added that the last time the family was reunited was during Chinese New Year, in the Year of the Dragon, noting that this time, the roles have been reversed, with the children asking them to join them in Canada so they could spend more time with their grandchildren. Renato Marques with Yuki Lei