It has been reported that ISS-HK case worker Rachel Li said to an African mother:
“We want the government to deport all you people, so we can be free!
You people are disturbing.
You people are annoying.“
ISS-HK Miss Panares said to the press, “I marvel at how brave they (case workers) have been to be actually dealing with this. I can tell you it’s quite a tough job for them because they are trying to provide support at the same time they are saying, ‘We cannot give you everything you need.’”
While Miss Panares marvels at her teams’ courage, nobody marvels at their lack of sympathy!
A Somali refugee complained to his ISS-HK case worker that he wasn’t getting three square meals a day. He was told, “That is not my problem. You go and find some food!” He noted that in his war-torn country it wasn’t as hard to stave off hunger as it is here, where he will be jailed for working for food. There is no excuse for refugees to be hungry in an affluent city that dumps 3,000 tons of foodstuff every day, or the equivalent weight of 600 elephants. Shame, shame, shame!
A recognized refugee approached ISS-HK for fresh milk for his baby. He was told, “If you want more milk, we must reduce the baby formula. We cannot give you both even if your child is losing weight!” The father asked for 20$ to buy fresh vegetables for his baby. The officer said, “No. We don’t have budget for this.” The refugee had a medical certificate confirming the child was sick and had lost weight. It meant nothing as the case worker stuck rigidly to rules in the face of evident hunger and despair.
In these three cases a pressing human need was met with professional negligence and lack of the very sympathy that the High Court demands for people seeking asylum. ISS-HK should be on notice that Vision First is recording every incident as evidence to be submitted to court, with the name of the case worker responsible for the affront. There is a time to hurt people and there is a time for pay. The husband of African lady said, “There will come a day when Rachel Li will run home with no clothes on!”
Vision First is filing “Applications For Legal Aid (Civil)” at the Legal Aid Department. The LAD officers tried to block the attempt by asking for supporting documents from ISS-HK. This ridiculous request was dealt with promptly in a very vocal and energetic fashion. Nothing will stop a rightful and long overdue judicial review of the shameful welfare that oppressed refugees since 2006. The grounds for Judicial Review are:
- Unreasonableness
- Illegality
- Unfairness and procedural impropriety
- Bias
- Apparent bias
- Order mandamus SWD to confirm refugees’ needs are being met.
The court decision is required on: Social Welfare Department and ISS-HK’s refusal to provide sufficient funds to have all basic material and financial needs of asylum seekers and successful refugees and torture claimants met in full.
click above to see how a flat is subdivided with partitions