I refer to the letter by a group of Form Six students ('Stop spongers', South China Morning Post, March 17), concerning the issue of the Comprehensive Social Security Allowance (CSSA) given to the new immigrants. I agree that the resources available to the elderly are not enough, but it does not mean that we should reduce the welfare for the new immigrants who are in need. There is no doubt that some new immigrants try to get taxpayers' money without making a contribution to society, but not all the new migrants who are taking the CSSA are parasites of society. Some new immigrants do want to contribute to society, but they cannot. Generally, these new migrants have young children and so the mother has to look after them and therefore she cannot go to work. This means that the father is the sole earner. These fathers work long hours for meagre pay and this means that the family finds it hard to make ends meet. It is particularly difficult for them in Hong Kong where the cost of living is high. The Government's CSSA is designed to help these families. They are not wholly dependent on government aid, but are still in work trying to overcome their economic problems. Times have changed in Hong Kong. It is no longer the city of opportunities with a job round every corner. Recent figures have shown that unemployment is increasing. Many of the new migrants have no training and therefore have difficulty getting work. They want to contribute to society. They want to earn an honest and respectable living. We should not view these new immigrants who receive the CSSA as a menace to society. In fact, we should help them to improve their living conditions and respect them as being part of society. VIVIAN FUNG Kowloon
