March Roundup

Archive


March Roundup

Apr 11th, 2019 | Advocacy | Comment

This March was a busy month with a series of new activities organised at our office. As usual, we continue to work with our committed volunteers to serve asylum seekers and refugees in Hong Kong.

DONATIONS

We would like to express our gratitude to West Island School for donating toys for our children, including dolls, cars, games, puzzles, and reading cards. Thank you very much!

Toys

We would like to express our gratitude to secret donor for donating two boxes of summer shorts for our children. Thank you very much!

Shorts

After completing the “Table for Two Cities” programme earlier, we have got a calendar of this year. It records stories and encouraging words of asylum seekers and refugees. Thank you coordinator Tegan Smith, an initiator of the program, donors, supporters, friends and all who have participated in the programme.

Table
NEW EVENTS

On 1st March, we were so privileged to host teachers and students from the Open University of Hong Kong for organising Local Food and Cantonese Workshop for families. We all shared good time, thank you for their support.

Cooking

On 17th March, we were honoured to be invited to the Open Day of Victoria Shanghai Academy. Participants had precious opportunities to meet new faces, watch music performance, play sports games, and select textbooks for their learning. Thank you for organisers, school administration, teachers and fellow students’ efforts. Children were overjoyed!

Open day

Starting from this month, we have a new programme, Creative Writing Session for kids on each Saturday. Thank you for volunteers’ kind-heart support, children now can have chances to enhance their writing!

Creative

On 30th March, we were glad to have Justice Leader Council Education Campaign for kids, equipping them with knowledge and skills to live their daily lives. We believe education is the best way to empowerment.

Justice1

On the same day, there was also Social Innovation Round Table for adults, exchanging creative ideas to cope with difficulties. Thank you volunteers for organising a series of meaningful activities for us, we had a fruitful weekend.

Justice
REGULAR EVENTS

On a weekly basis, our office still offers a series of classes targeting the asylum seekers and refugees with different age groups. These ongoing activities do not only provide opportunities for our members to learn, but also to socialise and to let them get out of the oppressive routine of feeling like prisoners-in-the-city without the opportunity to work and to contribute.

Every Saturday, we have the Canadian Tutorial Session in our office, with a group of passionate volunteers from Canadian School teaching our children school assignments and assisting them to do revision.

Canadian Tutoring

Members who are interested in the above programmes, please visit our office for more information. Again, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all donors and volunteers who stand with us. Keep visiting our website and Facebook for the latest information. For enquiry, please don’t hesitate to visit our office or email us at info@refugeeunion.org.

 

FEBRUARY ROUNDUP AT THE REFUGEE UNION

Mar 4th, 2019 | Advocacy | Comment

Kung Hei Faat Choi (恭喜發財)! We wish all of you the best in the Year of Pig. This February, our Refugee Union Hong Kong office continue to serve the community of asylum seekers and refugees with our committed volunteers, despite of the Lunar New Year holidays.

DONATIONS

We would like to express our gratitude to Madam Emma for donating our babies with ten boxes of Wildalp Austria Water. Thank you very much!

01

NEW EVENTS

On 16 February, we are glad to have volunteers from Canadian School and Korean Student Service Community (KOSMOS) joining us and organising a Joint Tutorial Session for our kids. Young tutors are passionate to teach and humble to learn from each other. We are looking forward to welcoming them again!

02

Meanwhile, on the same day, we have volunteers from the Justice Leaders’ Council holding an education campaign for our young refugees. They will be teaching Cantonese in the coming weeks. Thank you for their generous support and we are looking forward to seeing them again!

03

REGULAR EVENTS

On a weekly basis, our office still offers a series of classes targeting the asylum seekers and refugees with different age groups. These ongoing activities do not only provide opportunities for our members to learn, but also socialise and to let them get out of the oppressive routine of feeling like prisoners-in-the-city without the opportunity to work and to contribute.

Every Saturday, we have the Canadian Tutorial Session in our office, with a group of passionate volunteers from Canadian School teaching our children school assignments and assisting them to do revision.

04

Members who are interested in the above programmes, please visit our office for more information. Again, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all donors and volunteers who stand with us. Keep visiting our website and Facebook for the latest information. For enquiry, please don’t hesitate to visit our office or email us at info@refugeeunion.org.

JANUARY ROUNDUP AT THE REFUGEE UNION

Feb 2nd, 2019 | Advocacy | Comment

Happy New Year! At the beginning of 2019, our Office continues to work closely with our committed Members and kind-heart volunteers as usual, striking for a better living for asylum seekers and refugees in Hong Kong, despite an increasing challenge and difficulty that the government forces on us.

New Events

To begin with, we would like to express our gratitude to Madam Stephanie for her generous donation of new chairs to our Office. The old and broken black chairs can be replaced finally. Thank you very much!

50022188_2266849756894369_3682284606293278720_o

On 27 January, our Members were invited to this year’s Migrants’ Day themed “Many Journeys, One Family”, sharing our stories with the public. Thank you Claret Mission, Claretian Missionaries, Secular Franciscan Order, Columban Missionaries for organising this meaningful event to promote the spirits of social inclusion and acceptance of diversity.

50851651_2270465669866111_256529463058104320_o

On the same day, our Members also received a special invitation to attend the Integration of Talents event organised by the Claretian Missionaries. It was a great opportunity to perform our talents and had a taste of delicious Chinese cuisines, as an early celebration of the Lunar New Year.

50892412_2274006469512031_7538116759274913792_n

Regular Events

On a weekly basis, our Office also offers a series of classes targeting the asylum seekers and refugees with different age groups. These ongoing activities do not only provide opportunities for our members to learn, but also to socialise and to let them get out of the oppressive routine of feeling like prisoners-in-the-city without the opportunity to work and to contribute.

Every Saturday, we have talented volunteers come and hold Music Session for our refugee kids at our Office. They teach our children to sing and to play with musical instruments. We also have the Canadian Tutorial Session on every Saturday at our Office, with a group of passionate volunteers to teach refugee children school assignments and help them to prepare for tests and examinations.

51140301_2272221826357162_7434550842771898368_o

Last but not least, the Cultural Diversity Playgroup at our office targets both refugee adults and babies. Participants can make new friends and learn new things during lessons. They all share joyful moments.

48367683_2248097505436261_6225643550403461120_o

Members who are interested in the above programmes, please visit our Office for more information. Again, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all donors and volunteers who stand with our refugee community. Keep visiting our website and Facebook for the latest information. For enquiry, please don’t hesitate to visit our office or email us at info@refugeeunion.org.

Hong Kong refugees have a say

Jan 22nd, 2019 | Advocacy, Immigration, RU Opinion, Welfare | Comment

HK refugees have a say

Video about the Asylum Seekers in Hong Kong, Launched by our Volunteers

Jan 21st, 2019 | Advocacy | Comment

//We are a group of students from CUHK that concern about the asylum seekers in Hong Kong. Last summer, with support from the I‧CARE Social Service Projects Scheme, we launched our social service project called “Love ‧ Care ‧ Boundaryless”. In these few months, we have offered free Cantonese lessons and cultural tour for the asylum seekers to let them understand more about the local culture, enabling them to better adapt the social environment.

After this project, we made a video which aims to let the public rediscover the socially marginalised. They are neither fake refugees nor criminals, but the asylum seekers who fled from their home countries under the threat to life.//

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eba8XqMZsks

Acknowledgement:

Funding: I‧CARE Centre for Whole-person Development
Venue and collaboration: Refugee Union Hong Kong
Project advisor: Dr. LEE King-wa
Video: Antony Chan, Kris Chu

Screenshot 2019-01-21 at 15.35.01

Canada has much to teach Hong Kong on refugee question

Jan 17th, 2019 | Advocacy, Opinion | Comment

SCMP - Canada has much to teach HK on refugees - 17Jan2019

Overstayers caught working could face a three-year jail term

Jan 4th, 2019 | Advocacy | Comment

SCMP - Tougher measures proposed for overstayers with jobs - 4Jan2019

Refugee Union petitions the Legco Panel on Security

Oct 5th, 2018 | Advocacy, Government, Immigration, RU Report | Comment

The Refugee Union is gravely concerned about the tightening of security around refugees in Hong Kong. This only serves to worsen the conditions we suffer when applying for protection in the city. On 4 October 2018 a group of Refugee Union leaders submitted a petition to the Security Bureau ahead of a meeting of the Panel on Security (Legco) on the subject. 

We stongly hope that the rights of refugees in Hong Kong will be protected while the Immigration Department improves the screening process (USM) by producing more credible results than the current 1% acceptance rate for the past decade. 

The proposed tightening policy will pose a detrimental impact on the lives of refugees. We therefore stand against the proposal and call for humanitarian treatment by the Hong Kong Government. We hope that lawmakers and Government officials appreciate that no one leaves their home country unless their home is in the mouth of a shark. 

We sincerely hope the Panel on Security will consider our needs and uphold the humanitarian virtues of Hong Kong. 

RU presents petition to Legco - 4Oct2018
RU petition to Legco Panel on Security - 4Oct2018

Refugee talks at Chinese University

Oct 5th, 2018 | Advocacy, RU updates, programs, events | Comment

No Escape - CUHK - 8Nov2018

Social Welfare Department reply to Refugee Union

Sep 11th, 2018 | Advocacy, Food, Government, Housing, Welfare | Comment

SWD reply to RU - 31Aug18