https://www.scmp.com/rss/318730/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s tougher deportation drive is deepening fear among asylum seekers and long-term foreign residents, rights groups say, warning that the government’s push to remove more undocumented migrants is clashing with its duty to protect refugees. Official figures show a record 318 foreign nationals were forcibly deported from Japan under escort in 2025, up 30 per cent from a year earlier, as authorities ramped up the Zero Illegal Foreign Residents Plan (Zero Plan), a government drive launched last... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349313/japans-deportation-drive-strikes-fear-asylum-seekers-foreign-residents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349313/japans-deportation-drive-strikes-fear-asylum-seekers-foreign-residents?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong has deported 113 rejected non-refoulement claimants after a week-long operation, according to the Immigration Department. The operation codenamed “Shield” involved deporting a group of 68 men and 45 women, some of whom had completed prison sentences for criminal offences in the city. “A total of 113 unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants who were illegal immigrants and overstayers were repatriated to their places of origin,” the department said on Monday. “The persons removed …... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3340434/hong-kong-deports-113-failed-asylum-seekers-week-long-operation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3340434/hong-kong-deports-113-failed-asylum-seekers-week-long-operation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:43:42 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Rashid arrived on the Malaysian island of Langkawi as a young child after spending weeks at sea in a fishing boat crammed with Myanmar’s unwanted: Rohingya Muslims driven out by soldiers and ethnic Buddhist militias who had razed their villages. A decade on, the now 14-year-old has witnessed countless boats arrive on the island over the years, as his stateless community continues to flee persecution. “We did not choose Malaysia because we thought it was a good or nice country,” he told This Week... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337690/rohingya-crisis-deepens-myanmar-election-offers-no-hope-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337690/rohingya-crisis-deepens-myanmar-election-offers-no-hope-return?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn It was a day Bibi Rahima Farhangdost feared might never come. After 11 years living in limbo in Indonesia as an Afghan refugee, she was finally on her way to a new life in Australia, boarding a flight to Tasmania at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 23. “Finally, it happened. I love Tasmania. The weather is a bit cold, but the air is fresh, and the people are nice in Australia,” she told This Week in Asia from her new home. Farhangdost is among a limited number of refugees... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3320300/after-11-years-indonesian-limbo-afghan-refugee-finds-home-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3320300/after-11-years-indonesian-limbo-afghan-refugee-finds-home-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indian authorities allegedly forced dozens of Rohingya refugees off a naval vessel into the sea near Myanmar last week after providing them with life jackets, a United Nations agency, family members of the refugees and their lawyer said. The UNHCR said in a statement on Thursday that at least 40 Rohingya refugees were detained in New Delhi and cast into the sea by the Indian navy near the maritime border with Myanmar. The refugees – including children, women and older people – swam ashore, but... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3310743/india-accused-forcing-rohingya-refugees-sea-near-myanmar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3310743/india-accused-forcing-rohingya-refugees-sea-near-myanmar?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 May 2025 04:00:44 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott LM grew up in a small village on the Indonesian island of Java where food was central to daily life. “My mother, my grandparents, my aunts always cooked – food brought us together,” says LM (a pseudonym), who arrived in Hong Kong 23 years ago to work as a domestic helper and later joined her African husband in seeking asylum. “When I fell pregnant, I could not get a new contract – 20 years ago, it wasn’t easy to find work when you’re pregnant. I didn’t want to go home and leave my husband here... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3298973/book-recipes-and-stories-celebrates-hong-kong-refugees-and-asylum-seekers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3298973/book-recipes-and-stories-celebrates-hong-kong-refugees-and-asylum-seekers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2025 04:45:07 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Refugees living in Hong Kong are facing a “worst-case scenario” following US President Donald Trump’s decision to pause the country’s resettlement programme, just two months after Canada tightened its own rules, an advocate for asylum seekers’ rights has said. Amid a slew of executive orders signed by Trump on his first day in office last week was a 90-day pause on the country’s Refugee Admissions Programme that took effect on Monday. The news sent shock waves through the city’s refugee... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3296495/refugees-hong-kong-face-worst-case-scenario-after-us-canada-policy-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3296495/refugees-hong-kong-face-worst-case-scenario-after-us-canada-policy-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:37:23 +0000 Malaysian authorities said on Saturday that they have turned away two boats carrying nearly 300 people believed to be Muslim Rohingya refugees who were found to have entered the country illegally. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said that it had information that two more boats were attempting to enter the country after a boatload of 196 Rohingya landed early on Friday on a beach on the northeastern resort island of Langkawi. They were all detained by authorities. The agency said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3293450/malaysia-turns-away-hundreds-rohingya-refugees-dozens-land-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3293450/malaysia-turns-away-hundreds-rohingya-refugees-dozens-land-island?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jan 2025 15:28:55 +0000 Ibrahim, a father of two teenagers and an asylum seeker in Hong Kong, says he feels helpless for not being able to provide for his children, as buying new trainers or even educational tools needed for their learning such as laptops are out of his reach. Because of his status, he cannot legally work, even though he has been in Hong Kong for 19 years. “I have kids, but I can’t take care of them. I’m helpless for my kids,” said Ibrahim, who is from Africa. “They always complain, ‘Why don’t I have... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3287217/laptop-scheme-set-bridge-tech-gap-children-asylum-seekers-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3287217/laptop-scheme-set-bridge-tech-gap-children-asylum-seekers-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Nov 2024 08:54:56 +0000 At first glance, 21-year-old Abu seems like an ordinary young man living in Malaysia’s Penang state. He enjoys football, has a keen interest in history and, in his spare time, he prepares for university entrance exams in the United States. However, deep down, the Rohingya refugee doubts he will ever get the chance to obtain a higher education. Abu’s family fled their home in Myanmar – where Rohingyas are persecuted – almost 13 years ago in search of a brighter future in Malaysia, but ended up... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3284055/im-unwanted-here-rohingya-refugees-malaysian-dreams-dashed-amid-arrest-fears-prejudice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3284055/im-unwanted-here-rohingya-refugees-malaysian-dreams-dashed-amid-arrest-fears-prejudice?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 09:00:13 +0000 I was born in Macau in 1943 but don’t have any documentary proof of that; Chinese midwives didn’t keep such records in those days, and anyway, I was born during wartime, and everything was pretty disordered. Later on, I learned that our family lived above the “Jik Lei” bicycle shop on Rua do Cinco de Outubro, down on the Inner Harbour – it’s not very far from the Hong Kong Temple. We were five children in our family, but only four of us lived to be adults. Unfortunately, my oldest brother died... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3268462/he-swam-hong-kong-after-being-jailed-china-now-his-barrister-son-helps-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3268462/he-swam-hong-kong-after-being-jailed-china-now-his-barrister-son-helps-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jul 2024 23:15:08 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/infographics/hong-kong/article/3267178/struggles-asylum-seekers-hong-kong-living-us13-day-visual-explainer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/infographics/hong-kong/article/3267178/struggles-asylum-seekers-hong-kong-living-us13-day-visual-explainer?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 02:00:08 +0000 Asylum seekers and refugees fleeing persecution and violence in their home countries face many obstacles in Hong Kong. There are employment restrictions and barriers to receiving healthcare, while the process of getting settled in a third country can drag on for years. Many experience immigration detention during their time in the city, where the conditions are poor and access to legal support limited. To raise awareness of the challenges they face, Refugee Week Hong Kong will be held from June... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3266118/refugee-week-hong-kong-celebrates-asylum-seekers-raises-awareness-about-their-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3266118/refugee-week-hong-kong-celebrates-asylum-seekers-raises-awareness-about-their-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2024 08:15:08 +0000 The walls of the hallway outside Alana’s* tiny first-floor flat are still caked in charred, black residue from a deadly fire that ripped through New Lucky House in Hong Kong’s Yau Ma Tei in April. The 38-year-old asylum seeker from Indonesia lost a cat and many possessions in the blaze, but rebuilding her life has proved difficult. With no income, she has resorted to rummaging through trash discarded by other residents for objects such as boxes to prop up her broken bed. She said her attempts to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3265048/hong-kong-asylum-seekers-returning-blaze-hit-new-lucky-house-denied-aid-over-lack-id-cards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3265048/hong-kong-asylum-seekers-returning-blaze-hit-new-lucky-house-denied-aid-over-lack-id-cards?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jun 2024 04:00:17 +0000 Mohammad Taqi prayed for his life as a tropical storm battered the small boat ferrying him and 10 other men across the sea from mainland China into Hong Kong. They were all illegal arrivals from Pakistan, hoping to pursue asylum claims in the city to evade alleged security threats back home. “We were stuck at sea for about three hours,” Taqi, 38, recalled. “The guy steering the boat – a young man from the mainland – said the storm might mean fewer police patrolling the seas.” It was about 2am... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3255275/more-illegal-immigrants-enter-hong-kong-spotlight-shines-again-asylum-seekers-do-they-have-valid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3255275/more-illegal-immigrants-enter-hong-kong-spotlight-shines-again-asylum-seekers-do-they-have-valid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 00:30:16 +0000 South Korea is experiencing a dramatic surge in asylum seekers from Russia, according to a recent government report. In 2023, more than 5,000 Russian nationals submitted refugee applications, a fivefold increase from the previous year’s total of 1,038, said the report cited in the Korea Herald. This surge nearly matches the total number of Russian asylum seekers recorded over 26 years, from 1994 to 2019. Russian asylum seekers are fleeing Russia amid the war against Ukraine. President Vladimir... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3253197/south-korea-sees-surge-russians-seeking-asylum-ukraine-war-grinds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3253197/south-korea-sees-surge-russians-seeking-asylum-ukraine-war-grinds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Feb 2024 05:37:10 +0000 A Kuala Lumpur-born internet sensation dubbed ‘Tube Girl’ for her viral TikTok dances on the London Underground system has leveraged her celebrity to fund schooling for Palestinian children living as refugees in Malaysia. Sabrina Bahsoon, 23, whose mother is Malaysian and father Lebanese-Sierra Leonean, shot to fame after videos of her carefree, wind-in-hair dances on London’s crowded Tube system went viral, racking up over 200 million views on TikTok as well as other social media platforms. Her... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3247676/malaysian-tiktok-star-tube-girl-funds-schooling-palestinians-you-have-give-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3247676/malaysian-tiktok-star-tube-girl-funds-schooling-palestinians-you-have-give-back?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jan 2024 12:00:16 +0000 Last month, Australia’s High Court overturned what was one of the world’s most draconian practices targeting refugees and asylum seekers: the country’s policy of mandatory, indefinite immigration detention. Decried as a breach of international human rights and a stain on Australian democracy, advocacy groups have for years tried to make successive governments dismantle the policy, which according to the nonprofit Global Detention Project also allowed children to be detained. For two decades, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3244434/indefinite-detention-how-human-rights-triumph-became-battle-over-australias-borders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3244434/indefinite-detention-how-human-rights-triumph-became-battle-over-australias-borders?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2023 02:00:16 +0000 More than a decade after fleeing Egypt and living as an asylum seeker in Hong Kong, former journalist Poules Zaki, 42, will start a new life in Canada on December 13. “I am so happy. My life has been on hold for 10 years, I cannot wait to see my family again,” he told the Post. Although his legal bid for refugee status came through in 2018, he had to wait another five years before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) finally told him he could leave Hong Kong. On November... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3244527/just-time-christmas-egyptian-refugee-hong-kong-2013-finally-gets-his-ticket-canada?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3244527/just-time-christmas-egyptian-refugee-hong-kong-2013-finally-gets-his-ticket-canada?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Dec 2023 07:00:15 +0000 Police have rescued four men suspected of illegally entering Hong Kong after a fisherman alerted authorities when he spotted the group on a tiny island in the southwest of the city indicating they needed help. Marine police officers found the four non-Chinese men on Peaked Hill, southwest of Lantau Island, after receiving the report at around 1.30pm on Saturday. The force deployed a patrol boat to rescue three of the men, who were sent to the marine police base in Tai Lam Chung, while the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3242024/hong-kong-marine-police-rescue-4-suspected-illegal-immigrants-spotted-tiny-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3242024/hong-kong-marine-police-rescue-4-suspected-illegal-immigrants-spotted-tiny-island?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Nov 2023 11:57:03 +0000 A proposal to allow UN-registered refugees to work in Malaysia but only in “3D” jobs – dirty, dangerous and difficult work – has been criticised by rights advocates as an unethical “facade” that reveals the government’s lack of empathy over their plight. Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its Protocols, and currently has no legislative or administrative framework for dealing with refugees. That is despite the country being home to an estimated 180,000 refugees recognised... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3240771/malaysias-plan-give-refugees-its-worst-jobs-amounts-human-rights-facade-activists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3240771/malaysias-plan-give-refugees-its-worst-jobs-amounts-human-rights-facade-activists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 09:30:08 +0000 The Pakistan-Afghanistan border is witnessing one of the largest forced expulsions of people since the second world war. Pakistan’s decision to deport over a million Afghans threatens to worsen Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis and risks thousands of lives. But China may hold the key to a solution. Pakistan announced on October 3 that all illegal migrants and asylum seekers had 28 days to leave or face deportation. While not directly mentioned, Afghans make up the vast majority of undocumented... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240274/how-china-can-stop-pakistan-worsening-afghanistans-humanitarian-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240274/how-china-can-stop-pakistan-worsening-afghanistans-humanitarian-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2023 07:30:16 +0000 A Hong Kong social worker and NGO manager helping foreign asylum seekers have urged the government to allow those who are seriously ill to receive expensive treatment that can save their lives. They highlighted the cases of two foreigners with life-threatening conditions but who could not afford the treatment they needed. These foreigners are ineligible for free or discounted urgent care at public hospitals. They pay more than Hongkongers, and treatment at private hospitals costs too much. “We... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3239531/dire-situation-hong-kong-authorities-urged-show-compassion-seriously-ill-asylum-seekers-who-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3239531/dire-situation-hong-kong-authorities-urged-show-compassion-seriously-ill-asylum-seekers-who-need?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2023 10:00:15 +0000 It was only the third day of Sri Lankan refugee Neil Para’s 1,000km (620-mile) walk to see Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese when he started developing terrible blisters. But that discomfort was nothing compared to the pain of living in Australia for 11 years without a visa, meaning he cannot work or access free medical services. Trapped in the country’s complex refugee processing system since his and his family’s bridging visas were revoked in 2014 without reason and never replaced,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3230800/australia-sri-lankan-refugees-long-walk-freedom-spotlights-plight-persecuted-asylum-seekers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3230800/australia-sri-lankan-refugees-long-walk-freedom-spotlights-plight-persecuted-asylum-seekers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Aug 2023 06:00:13 +0000 India should cease a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution and investigate human rights violations by its officials, an NGO group has urged, after it said an investigation had found the refugees faced illegal arrests, beatings and even the forceful separation of an infant from the mother. Sectarian violence has over the decades displaced more than a million Rohingya from Buddhist-majority Myanmar, with most claiming asylum in Bangladesh. Some groups also travel to India, where a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3229615/indias-treatment-rohingya-muslims-sending-them-back-killing-field-rights-group?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3229615/indias-treatment-rohingya-muslims-sending-them-back-killing-field-rights-group?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2023 09:32:17 +0000 Whistle-blower Edward Snowden used Hong Kong to launch the world’s biggest intelligence leak a decade ago, but others would not be able to do that today because of the government’s tightened grip on media in the city, according to his former lawyer. Speaking on the 10th anniversary of the explosive leaks which revealed the United States’ global spying activities, Canadian lawyer Robert Tibbo said the national security law introduced in 2020 had made the city “a place where whistle-blowing is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3224268/whistle-blower-edward-snowden-chose-hong-kong-expose-us-2013-would-perceived-lack-press-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3224268/whistle-blower-edward-snowden-chose-hong-kong-expose-us-2013-would-perceived-lack-press-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jun 2023 01:00:12 +0000 Hongkonger Jeffrey Andrews wears many hats. Bridge builder is one of them. “As an ethnic minority, as a social worker, as someone working with refugees, all these roles have helped bridge a lot of the social and racial gaps that exist in Hong Kong,” says Andrews, who works with Christian Action’s Centre for Refugees, Hong Kong’s only drop-in community centre for asylum seekers and refugees. “I feel very lucky.” A third-generation Hongkonger of Indian descent – “I grew up in the local school... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3224155/world-refugee-day-2023-hong-kong-music-and-dance-event-be-celebration-resilience-says-citys-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3224155/world-refugee-day-2023-hong-kong-music-and-dance-event-be-celebration-resilience-says-citys-first?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jun 2023 08:15:07 +0000 An NGO has accused Hong Kong authorities of misplaced priorities after they refused to provide an asylum seeker and her four daughters subsidies for food and shelter but allowed the children to go to school, a move that has left the family “desperate”. “The fact that the Immigration Department allows them to go to school but does not allow them to eat surely indicates that their priorities are wrong,” a spokesman from the NGO Refugee Union said. “They have been made extremely destitute and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3223654/misplaced-priorities-ngo-accuses-hong-kong-authorities-neglecting-food-shelter-needs-asylum-seeker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3223654/misplaced-priorities-ngo-accuses-hong-kong-authorities-neglecting-food-shelter-needs-asylum-seeker?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jun 2023 01:00:25 +0000 After fierce debate and numerous setbacks, Japan enacted on Friday controversial amendments to the immigration and refugee law enabling the government to deport repeat refugee applicants back to their countries of origin. But while the government has sought to assure its critics that it will “respond appropriately” to refugee cases that it sees, its ability to ensure the safety of the rising number of vulnerable people worldwide is under serious doubt at a time when it has given itself greater... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3223644/japans-refugee-law-changes-empower-government-amid-distrust-immigration-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3223644/japans-refugee-law-changes-empower-government-amid-distrust-immigration-system?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jun 2023 08:55:46 +0000 Japan’s parliament on Friday passed a bill to revise an immigration and refugee law to enable authorities to deport individuals who repeatedly apply for asylum status, despite objections from some opposition parties. Opponents to the legislation gathered in front of the Diet building in Tokyo in the rain, demanding the bill be scrapped, while opposition lawmakers criticised the ruling camp for having “bulldozed” the bill. The House of Councillors, or upper house, enacted the law with the support... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3223578/japan-passes-controversial-life-and-death-bill-revise-immigration-law-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3223578/japan-passes-controversial-life-and-death-bill-revise-immigration-law-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jun 2023 10:50:11 +0000 A little more than two years after a Sri Lankan woman died in an immigration facility in Nagoya, with her pleas for medical help ignored by staff, activists say Japan does not appear to have learned the lessons of a human rights case that made headlines around the world. Campaigners for the rights of immigrants, including asylum seekers and people awaiting deportation, say there is still no effective oversight of the government agencies tasked with handling those in detention and far too little... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3223311/japans-asylum-problem-lessons-sri-lankan-detainees-death-still-not-learnt-activists-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3223311/japans-asylum-problem-lessons-sri-lankan-detainees-death-still-not-learnt-activists-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jun 2023 01:45:14 +0000 Eleven-year-old Pakistani actor Sahal Zaman recently won best new performer at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards for The Sunny Side of the Street. His role as a young refugee brought to life the hardships of refugee life in Hong Kong. Many young refugees in Hong Kong, whether having fled here with their parents or born here to a refugee family, grow up in a very tough environment and face many limitations to their personal and career development. According to Immigration Department data, as at... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222797/hong-kong-should-empower-its-young-refugees-better-education-and-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222797/hong-kong-should-empower-its-young-refugees-better-education-and-support?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jun 2023 00:15:09 +0000 Wearing a burgundy suit and a nervous smile, 11-year-old Sahal Zaman last month became the first South Asian actor to win best new performer at the Hong Kong Film Awards after receiving the prize from Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh. “I love acting very much, can everyone please go watch The Sunny Side of the Street in theatres?” he said during his acceptance speech. Starring Zaman as its lead character, the movie tells the story of a Hong Kong-born Pakistani boy from a family of refugees... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3221258/sunny-side-street-star-sahal-zaman-talks-about-journey-hong-kongs-big-screen-after-historic-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3221258/sunny-side-street-star-sahal-zaman-talks-about-journey-hong-kongs-big-screen-after-historic-win?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 May 2023 04:00:09 +0000 Water, food, shelter and income are widely acknowledged basic needs of displaced people. But another critical need is often overlooked: finance. Access to banking, money management, payments, insurance and credit are fundamental to modern life. Once the challenges of travelling and settling in a new place are solved, displaced people need to keep money safe, build savings, ensure against catastrophic risk and send money to relatives back home. The world, and Southeast Asia in particular, cannot... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3220859/ukraine-cambodia-women-far-home-need-access-finance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3220859/ukraine-cambodia-women-far-home-need-access-finance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 May 2023 19:30:19 +0000 Japan on Friday unveiled its guidelines on refugee recognition for the first time after growing calls at home and abroad for greater transparency and amid mounting criticism over its history of accepting far fewer refugees compared to Western countries. Among the notable cases cited in the handbook for immigration officials is the possibility of granting refugee status if applicants are deemed at risk of persecution at home for identifying as a sexual minority. The handbook, compiled by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3214783/japan-unveils-first-ever-guidelines-refugee-status-recognition-amid-global-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3214783/japan-unveils-first-ever-guidelines-refugee-status-recognition-amid-global-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2023 12:13:55 +0000 The United Nations plans to slash food aid to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, blaming a funding shortfall for cuts that agencies warned on Friday would deepen food insecurity and malnutrition in the world’s largest refugee settlement. About 730,000 Rohingya, a persecuted mostly Muslim minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, fled to Bangladesh in 2017 to escape an army crackdown the UN said was carried out with genocidal intent. Including others who left in previous waves, nearly one million live... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3210608/un-slash-food-aid-rohingya-refugees-citing-fund-shortfall-how-will-we-survive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3210608/un-slash-food-aid-rohingya-refugees-citing-fund-shortfall-how-will-we-survive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Feb 2023 10:43:35 +0000 Asylum seekers arriving in Hong Kong face a long and difficult path in their pursuit of refugee status. Only 1.2 per cent have succeeded with claims since a new screening mechanism was introduced nine years ago. But even those who succeed face a further ordeal. Those claimants, who would face torture or persecution if returned home, cannot be resettled in the city. Instead, their future lies in a third country. Most face a long wait and might be left in limbo for a decade or two. Some die before... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3209118/more-needs-be-done-find-refugees-home-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3209118/more-needs-be-done-find-refugees-home-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Feb 2023 22:30:09 +0000 Almost a decade after fleeing Egypt, former journalist Poules Zaki, 41, is still waiting to start a new life in Canada. He is one of a tiny minority of asylum seekers in Hong Kong to succeed in achieving refugee status, the ticket to moving to a host country. But despite getting his resettlement letter from the United Nations refugee agency more than four years ago, he is still in Hong Kong, scraping by on government handouts. “Canada is a very far hope,” he said. “When they accepted my... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3207802/long-wait-new-life-asylum-seekers-clear-hong-kong-checks-only-watch-years-go-host-countries-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3207802/long-wait-new-life-asylum-seekers-clear-hong-kong-checks-only-watch-years-go-host-countries-take?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jan 2023 00:30:16 +0000 The government’s intention to deport asylum seekers from Hong Kong even if they have court challenges outstanding has caused alarm among claimants and supporters. This fundamental policy change, described as an “update”, was unveiled in the Legislative Council. It is the latest measure aimed at tackling a long-standing backlog in processing claims and stamping out abuses of the system. The number of claims has increased since the government put in place a unified screening mechanism in 2014 in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3205963/curbing-abuse-asylum-system-cannot-be-cost-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3205963/curbing-abuse-asylum-system-cannot-be-cost-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jan 2023 22:15:08 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I am writing to respond to the commentary, “Hong Kong should rethink rules that threaten to make immigration detention feel like jail” (December 20). Non-refoulement claimants are illegal... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3204119/hong-kong-treats-immigration-detainees-lawfully-and-fairly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3204119/hong-kong-treats-immigration-detainees-lawfully-and-fairly?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Dec 2022 03:30:12 +0000 The Legislative Council recently discussed coming changes to immigration policy in Hong Kong. The government proposed opening a new immigration detention centre next year. It also proposed allowing intimate body searches at Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre, Hong Kong’s largest detention centre, and raising the maximum period of solitary confinement to 28 days from the current seven days. These changes are likely to take effect early next year, after amendments to the relevant rules and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3203710/hong-kong-should-rethink-rules-threaten-make-immigration-detention-feel-jail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3203710/hong-kong-should-rethink-rules-threaten-make-immigration-detention-feel-jail?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Dec 2022 00:15:11 +0000 Jack* and his wife have had sleepless nights since they found last week that a little-publicised change to Hong Kong’s immigration rules could bring their attempt to find asylum to an end. Foreigners who fail in their first court attempt to obtain non-refoulement, the city’s de facto asylum status, from last Wednesday could face repatriation before the outcome of appeals to higher courts. “We are so scared,” said Jack, a former diplomat from a Middle Eastern country and father of three. “My wife... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3202836/hong-kongs-new-policy-court-appeals-asylum-seekers-sparks-alarm-many-will-be-sent-home-face-danger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3202836/hong-kongs-new-policy-court-appeals-asylum-seekers-sparks-alarm-many-will-be-sent-home-face-danger?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Dec 2022 00:30:18 +0000 The United Nations is “seriously concerned” by Malaysia’s continued deportation of asylum seekers from Myanmar back to their home country. UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, said it had received “multiple disturbing reports” of refoulement – the forcible return of refugees and asylum seekers – since April. In the last two months, hundreds of Myanmar nationals are reported to have been sent back against their will by the authorities, UNHCR said on Tuesday. “UNHCR continues to call on Malaysia to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3197280/un-slams-malaysia-forced-returns-myanmar-nationals-seeking-asylum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3197280/un-slams-malaysia-forced-returns-myanmar-nationals-seeking-asylum?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Oct 2022 06:02:07 +0000 For the past 17 years, Michael (not his real name) has been patiently waiting for the Hong Kong government to approve his petition to become a registered refugee. Originally from Togo, in West Africa, he fled his home country in 2005, when protests and riots broke out over a presidential election that saw Faure Gnassingbe come to power. During the unrest, about 400 to 500 demonstrators were killed by state authorities, according to the United Nations. “My friend told me, at [that] stage, the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3197047/hong-kong-charity-giving-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-chance-tell-their-stories-cooking-food-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3197047/hong-kong-charity-giving-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-chance-tell-their-stories-cooking-food-home?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 23:15:09 +0000 Six years after fleeing Yemen and arriving in Hong Kong, Suleiman* remains separated from his wife and son, uncertain if they can be reunited to start life anew somewhere else. His claim for non-refoulement, the city’s de facto asylum status, failed in 2018. He appealed to the Torture Claims Appeal Board the same year, but has yet to learn his fate. “Every day in Hong Kong, I die a little,” the 41-year-old told the Post. Hong Kong passed a raft of legislative changes more than a year ago to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3195326/faster-screening-asylum-seekers-hong-kong-2600-cases-still?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3195326/faster-screening-asylum-seekers-hong-kong-2600-cases-still?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Oct 2022 10:30:12 +0000 A legal expert studying Hong Kong’s immigration detention facilities has called on authorities to be more proactive in disclosing data, saying it is a “real concern” that information on those held in custody is not readily available. Surabhi Chopra, an associate professor at Chinese University who specialises in forced migration and rights of the poor, said her research led her to conclude that it was even harder to find public information on immigration detainees than on prisoners. While the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3181420/data-asylum-seekers-detained-hong-kong-should-be-disclosed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3181420/data-asylum-seekers-detained-hong-kong-should-be-disclosed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jun 2022 01:00:11 +0000 Nearly seven in 10 refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong expect to run out of food in a week’s time and have little hope of restocking supplies due to a buying frenzy triggered by fears of a lockdown for Covid-19 testing, a survey by a concern group has found. Ineligible to work, Hong Kong’s 14,000 refugees and asylum seekers are forced to rely solely on the HK$1,200 (US$153) in grocery shopping credits the government provides each month. The allowance can only be spent at ParknShop, one of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3170092/nearly-7-10-refugees-asylum-seekers-hong-kong-expect-run-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3170092/nearly-7-10-refugees-asylum-seekers-hong-kong-expect-run-out?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Mar 2022 05:26:51 +0000 Refugees in Hong Kong have been unable to buy daily necessities with their food subsidy cards after rumours of a citywide lockdown spurred a wave of buying panic that swept goods off shelves and pushed up prices. Refugee Union chairwoman Adella Namagembe said food prices had already climbed significantly over the past two years during the pandemic, while the recent panic buying had left refugees with nothing. “It was not a good feeling at all, we feel stuck,” she said on Thursday. Refugees and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3169165/hong-kong-refugees-struggle-buy-supplies-panic-buying-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3169165/hong-kong-refugees-struggle-buy-supplies-panic-buying-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Mar 2022 02:00:26 +0000 For the 1,433 refugees fleeing Vietnam aboard rusty freighter the Sen On in May 1979, Les Bird was the first person they saw when the ship quite literally hit Hong Kong. The captain had abandoned the ship outside Macau and pointed the refugees in the general direction of Hong Kong. None of the refugees steering the vessel had any experience with ships. Chased by the Marine Police, they decided their best bet was to ram the Sen On into a sandy beach on Lantau Island, thus forcing the Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3163198/vietnamese-boatpeople-tell-their-stories-first-time-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3163198/vietnamese-boatpeople-tell-their-stories-first-time-one?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jan 2022 10:15:18 +0000 In 2001, Cameroonian footballer Julius Akosah came to Hong Kong to play professionally. He probably didn’t envisage he would still be here two decades later, giving refugees and asylum seekers a helping hand through the beautiful game. The 40-year-old ended up having a 15-year career in the city (with a brief stop in Indonesia) taking in nine different clubs across the top three divisions, and even playing twice for the representative team in the Interport Cup. Akosah is still deeply involved... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3152762/africa-united-football-club-offering-hong-kongs-refugee-and-asylum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3152762/africa-united-football-club-offering-hong-kongs-refugee-and-asylum?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Oct 2021 02:41:19 +0000