Advocate pushes Hong Kong to see refugees with compassion amid global backlash

Building public awareness about the hardships faced by 15,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong remains a priority for the city, a rights group says. 

Speaking on the sidelines of the Home and Away charity football tournament it organised last week, Branches of Hope executive director Alexander Pforte said an intensifying global refugee resettlement challenge, fuelled by geopolitical tensions, anti-immigrant sentiment and populism, has compounded their clients’ hardships “exponentially”. 

“We can see this anywhere in the world. If you look at Europe and North America, which are the [primary] countries for resettlement, geopolitics and domestic politics [both] play a role…in fuelling rejection and reluctance to accept refugees and asylum seekers,” Pforte said.

The annual tournament, which has been growing each year, attracted 29 teams last week to King’s Park, with about 580 players participating in this fourth consecutive edition. This year also marked the first time the tournament has branched out to youth, involving schools across Hong Kong to raise awareness of an issue it described as polarising. 

“Either people don’t know that there are refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong, or if they know, they think that they’re here illegally or don’t have a proper claim and that they have no right to be here,” Pforte said. 

As of September this year, Hong Kong’s Immigration Department received 1,925 applications for torture claims or non-refoulement protection. While the city does not grant asylum or legally recognise refugees, it has systematically screened asylum applications since late 2009. Of the 33,060 cases it has determined, only 379 or approximately 1% of those, have been successful. The majority of successful claimants have come from Pakistan, Yemen and Indonesia. 

Often, these non-refoulement claimants or refugees must wait for years, if not decades, for authorities to determine their cases. During this prolonged limbo, they are not granted the legal right to live or work in the city. According to the non-profit organisation Justice Centre Hong Kong, the current number of refugees and asylum seekers stands at more than 15,000.

A 38-year-old asylum seeker from the Philippines who has been in Hong Kong for five years, identified herself as Rose. She said she receives HK$1,200 every month from the government for food and rent, which is far from enough to meet her basic needs. 

“[It is] not enough money, but it’s better than nothing,” said Rose, who was cheering for her husband, also an asylum seeker, as he played in last week’s tournament.

Rose is still waiting for her claim to be processed. She gets an additional HK$1,000 a month and HK$7,000 of annual education subsidy from Branches of Hope for her child. This support makes it slightly more possible to survive in an expensive city like Hong Kong, Rose said.  

Last week’s event also drew former Manchester United defender Wes Brown, as well as local elite footballers and celebrities, as part of its goal to raise a minimum of HK$600,000. 

The men’s group cup championship was awarded to Zyphr FC, and the women’s group championship belonged to Dribble to Dream.

The 46-year-old Brown said it was important for people to do what they can to help the refugee community and make the world a better place.

“I am here to bring awareness to the refugee community to the public,” he said.

Adrian Rodriguez, 17, is an international school football player for Regal Stanley FC, who faced Arised United, the refugee football team that included Wes Brown. Rodriguez said playing against the former Manchester United player was an “unforgettable experience.”

“We didn’t play passively just because our opponents were refugees,” said Rodriguez. 

Next week, the Home and Away tournament’s youth tournament is set to begin at King’s Park to raise awareness of issues in the city and provide a place for the marginalised and vulnerable to enjoy football in Hong Kong.