Dear Refugee Union –

Thank you for organizing refugees to voice the great problems they face in Hong Kong. Refugees here are in worse position than people really know. They are not getting enough assistance or decent food and ISS giving us just 200 HKD per month. It is just a joke, nothing else! Without money or work how can anyone survive?

Nobody can stay and sleep in their room for 24 hours a day. People need to live their life and without work how can it be possible? I want to discuss about a very serious matter: that the government of Hong Kong does not allow refugees to work it is very unfair. This situation increases the frustration in refugees as they try to get money by wrong ways because nobody can live without money in Hong Kong.

The government can reduce the crimes with the help of allowing refugees to work. Then all refugees will work instead of getting money by wrong ways and the ratio of crimes will be reduced. ISS should support well enough and never let refugees down about their respect and they should be not discriminated against.

Everyone came to Hong Kong because some serious problems in their native countries. Otherwise how can someone leave his country and loved family? Circumstances compel them to leave their families and countries. Otherwise it is hard enough to leave children and parents and sisters and brothers behind without seeing them again. This is a very tough choice to save one’s life.

I am also a refugee and I came here because of serious threats to my life in my country. I have done a MBA in Finance and have done graduate studies in political science and journalism. I was active in politics and took a stand against corruption in the government. Now I live in a refugee slum in Lam Tei, Tuen Mun which is a very bad conditions compared to my life before. I would not leave my family behind and live in these conditions if I did not have real problem.

The only room I can pay for with the money I got from ISS (1500$ rent assistance a month) has no air-condition and is made of iron sheets roof with no ceiling and plywood walls. It is very hot and humid. Sometimes I feel very serious suffocation and got some health problem because of very hot weather. How can I arrange air-condition without money?

How can I face these difficult without cash money? If I do work police will catch me and I would be put in jail for a long time. Then how can I survive? I request the government of Hong Kong to care about refugees and their living conditions. Let them work and reduce the risk of unlawful activities by the refugees. The conditions we suffer are not human and unsuitable to protect people.

Rasool