I refer to the letter from a group of sixth-formers, headlined, 'Stop spongers' (South China Morning Post, March 17), concerning those migrants who abuse Hong Kong's social welfare system. I am also a Form Six student and I agree that those who abuse the social welfare system are in the wrong. However, is it really fair to single out recent immigrants and blame them for taking advantage of the Comprehensive Social Security Allowance (CSSA)? Frankly, if we do not have exact statistics to hand, we can only make an uneducated guess. We cannot actually prove that these migrants are parasites who are damaging society. My sister is a social worker who deals mostly with new migrants. She told me that some of them want to get the CSSA and think it is their right, but there are many others who find it difficult to adapt to life in Hong Kong and who need a lot of help. We should all try to feel greater empathy with these people. The world would be a better place if we tried to avoid unnecessary conflict. BOBBY CHAN Kowloon
