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Letters | Hong Kong third wave: help NGOs rescue refugees and asylum seekers from added misery
- The lack of pandemic information in their languages and no rise in subsidies for six years have left refugees facing not only increased health risks but also a heavier financial burden due to food inflation
- Meanwhile, the children struggle with online learning because of the language barrier, which is also why parents fail to access available resources
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As Hong Kong continues to combat the impacts of Covid-19, sometimes the most vulnerable can be forgotten and left behind. Of those overlooked, one of the most marginalised groups is Hong Kong’s 13,000 asylum seekers.
The government does not allow refugees and asylum seekers to work, only subsidising them with HK$1,500 (US$193) a month for housing, HK$1,200 in prepaid supermarket vouchers, HK$300 for utilities, and HK$200 for transport. These subsidies have been the same for more than six years, and the scant amount provided has only made the financial burdens of the pandemic weigh heavier on them.
The lack of pandemic information in their languages means they don’t have equal access to coronavirus protection. Their legal status also means that government relief measures do not apply to them.
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Besides the increased health risks refugees face in this time, rising food inflation also negatively impacts them. Their prepaid supermarket card limits where they can shop for food and has not increased in value since 2014.
The Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department recorded in May that food prices saw an average of 11 per cent increase from May 2019. In March this year, at the supermarkets where asylum seekers can use their vouchers, some staple food like potatoes and chicken even saw a 50 per cent price increase.
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Living in limbo: The life of an asylum seeker in Hong Kong
Living in limbo: The life of an asylum seeker in Hong Kong
Beyond the financial burdens they experience, refugees also face struggles in school. Although the Education Bureau provides a subsidy of HK$4,740 for devices, many parents are not aware that they need to request the school to apply on the pupil’s behalf. This means these pupils can be left behind in the shift to online schooling.
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