Asylum seekers in Hong Kong forced onto the streets over demand they find rent guarantor

Elisa, originally from Africa, arrived in Hong Kong in April this year. She filed a protection claim in July and later enrolled for social welfare assistance. But, up until now, she has not received any support to pay for a home.

Campaigners say that dozens of asylum seekers like Elisa have been pushed onto the streets in recent months because the government’s contractor responsible for providing social welfare assistance to protection claimants is asking them to find “rent guarantors”.

Refugees and campaigners say the problem has become more serious in the past few months, as ISS-HK is only approving rent assistance for new or renewed tenancy agreements after they produce such a document.

The South China Morning Post has heard a recording of a conversation between an ISS-HK case officer and a refugee talking about Elisa’s case. In the phone call, a case officer said: “If you cannot find any friend, anyone to write the letter, then the case is stuck and [ISS-HK] cannot pay the money.”

Elisa, who has not found a guarantor, is currently “sleeping here and there”, relying on help from friends and NGOs which have sheltered her.