A letter from Judy Chan in Hong Kong
June 2013
World Refugee Day Hong Kong
HK politician Fernando Cheung offers support
Each year on June 20 the United Nations and many civic groups celebrate World Refugee Day. Hong Kong is no stranger to refugee and asylum seeker issues. The history of Hong Kong is also a history of different waves of refugees.
Many current residents were refugees or children of refugees from mainland China who came to Hong Kong after World War II and following civil unrest after 1949. They numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Hong Kong was also a Port of First Asylum for Vietnamese refugees from 1975 to 1998, receiving more than 200,000 people. The last refugee camp was closed in 2000.
Many Hong Kongers are unaware that there are still refugees and asylum seekers in the city today. The numbers are smaller but not insignificant with an estimated 100 recognized refugees and 6,000 persons seeking asylum. They come primarily from South Asia and from Africa. Hong Kong is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention; therefore refugees cannot resettle here. However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees maintains an office in the city and is responsible for determining refugee status. Hong Kong has signed the Convention Against Torture (CAT), so asylum seekers may also file torture claims through the Immigration Department.
African drummers
Refugees and asylum seekers face many hardships once they arrive in Hong Kong. Besides the trauma of fleeing from their homeland, they face a "culture of suspicion" from the Hong Kong government and the general public. It is assumed (unfairly) that most asylum seekers are bogus and are actually economic migrants.
In my conversations with asylum seekers and those who help them, I have become more sensitized to their plight. The whole process of seeking asylum in Hong Kong is degrading and demoralizing, sometimes stretched out for years, leaving vulnerable persons and families in limbo under impoverished conditions. Even recognized refugees are not allowed to work and are given bare minimum support for housing and food.
Mother and daughters join march
It is gratifying to know that Christian churches are a part of a diverse network that is providing assistance to asylum seekers and refugees. Churches and Christian NGOs provide material and spiritual support as well as advocating for more just and compassionate policies. The Hong Kong Christian Council, where I work in ecumenical communications, recently funded a project to help with education expenses of children in refugee and asylum seeker families via one of our member organizations. This outreach to the marginalized in Hong Kong recognizes the importance of reconciliation in cultures of violence, one of World Mission’s critical global priorities.
Not long ago I was invited to join a “March for Protection” for asylum seekers and torture claimants in Hong Kong. By nature I am not a person who joins protest marches. However, the friend who invited me was also the organizer. His parting words were, “Anyone who really cares about this issue will be there!” Still, I felt uneasy. Should I go or not?
Protest at Immigration Department
I asked another friend at church who is a person seeking asylum. I respect his opinion very much. “Should I join this march?” I asked. His response surprised me. He said, “Well, yes, because it always helps when there are locals who show support for our situation.” I was surprised because he considered me a "local" Hong Konger even though he knows I am an American. So I decided I would go and "pass’" as a local Chinese.
When we gathered at the Star Ferry Pier there were hundreds of marchers ready to go amid African drums, chanting, banners and media outlets. But, as my friend predicted, very few Chinese faces. As we marched from Central District to Wanchai, many onlookers stood back as we passed. I was aware indeed that their seeing a Chinese face among the crowd did send an important message: We care and Hong Kong should care.
After the march, which ended in front of the Immigration Department, I reflected on the day. The march for protection didn’t require much courage from me. In fact, the refugees and asylum seekers who led the march were really the courageous ones. But each of us in our own way can do something to make our city a better place—sometimes all it takes is just showing up.
I invite you to join God’s mission in Hong Kong through your prayers, donations, and advocacy for refugees and asylum seekers. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as an accompanier to the outcasts in Hong Kong society through your generous support of Presbyterian World Mission.
In peace,
Judy Chan
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 203
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