Hong Kong needs code of conduct and mutual respect on refugees
City should do more to help, and authorities as well as applicants should comply with rules
The ongoing refugee crisis in Europe has yet to affect Hong Kong much - at the time of writing, there were reports of a single person from Syria seeking help in the city. Nevertheless, this would be a good time to review our policies and practices on refugees.
Hong Kong does not follow the United Nations convention on refugees, only the one on torture. Is that good enough for an advanced city in the 21st century? I doubt it.
READ MORE: How Europe can learn from Hong Kong's refugee crisis
The host community and any applicant for refugee status should be made to comply with a code of conduct. The Hong Kong community must do two basic things. Firstly, it must ensure the government has the resources and the will to determine speedily and in good faith every application for refugee status. Secondly, when refugee status is found to be justified - that is, the applicant meets the criteria and cannot be returned safely to his or her country of origin, then that person must be made welcome and given legal resident status.
That means the refugee - and spouse if applicable - must be allowed to work, and any children should attend school.
Those found to have no case for refugee status should be treated according to the law and deported.
At the moment, it is questionable whether we are complying with that code. Applications and appeals are taking a very long time to settle - measured in months, if not years - and meanwhile applicants are stuck in limbo, unable to work and dependent on handouts.
This is unfair to all parties, including Hongkongers, who put a lot of resources into supporting those who could be - and in many cases would rather be - supporting themselves.
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For their part, those granted refugee status should also comply with a code of conduct. They must agree to abide by the laws of Hong Kong and should make an effort to learn one of our official languages.
They must also respect local customs, such as the age of consent for sexual relations, and understand that in our community, boys and girls mix freely in and outside school.
They are free to practise their own faith, and in return, they must tolerate other faiths.
What I am really asking for here is mutual respect. I do not think our community is doing enough to help genuine refugees. We should do more, and in return, we are entitled to expect those we have welcomed to integrate with us.
