Respect refugees’ liberties and let them work in Hong Kong, protest organiser urges
200 people expected to join a march through the city on World Refugee Day
Refugees in Hong Kong preparing to stage a protest on Monday to mark World Refugee Day are calling for the right to work in the city, a fair screening system and the end of smear campaigns.
The Refugee Union, which is organising the demonstration, said it expected 200 people to join a march starting at 2pm from the Central ferry piers to Immigration Tower in Wan Chai.
The union is demanding major changes, including “respect for the personal liberties of all refugees, regardless of status” and a realistic acceptance rate of refugees. Hong Kong’s current acceptance rate stands at 0.6 per cent. They also urge an end to “smear campaigns aimed at discrediting refugees and their rights” as well as conditional work rights for all refugees.
In recent months, voices linking asylum seekers to criminal activities have grown stronger, with some residents and pro-establishment lawmakers urging the government to set up closed refugee camps in Hong Kong.
It is morally wrong to blame all refugees for crimes committed by a few
“I think that these are individuals who are motivated by hatred. They are highly discriminatory and racists,” Peter Maina, secretary general of the Refugee Union and an asylum seeker, said.