NewHong Kong refugee rules shake-up urged after Sri Lankan dies in ‘slum’ fire

The death of a Sri Lankan refugee who was killed when fire ripped through his ramshackle home in Yuen Long late last month has sparked angry calls for the overhaul of the way Hong Kong handles asylum seekers.

More than 60 refugees’ rights advocates staged a protest today at the headquarters of the Social Welfare Department over the case of Sivarajah Sivatharan – who in a tragic twist was best known by his nickname “Lucky” – claiming the “slum” conditions in which he lived led to his death.

“Who will take responsibility for the death of Lucky?” said Mohammadi Rahman of the Refugee Union.

“Move your ass from your comfortable chairs and go see these slums,” Rahman told officials who had gathered to watch the protest.

Hong Kong’s almost 9,000 refugees are forbidden from working and must rely on a HK$1,500 monthly stipend from the government to cover their accommodation in the city.

However, few can afford any form of rent and end up occupying illegal shanty settlements across the New Territories.

In the case of Lucky, Refugee Union said he had been “settled” in the accommodation by the Social Welfare Department contractor ISS-HK.