Hong Kong Post Office does not accept Immigration Recognizance Papers

Post Date: Mar 19th, 2015 | Categories: Immigration, Personal Experiences, Refugee Community | COMMENT

(As posted on Refugee Union Facebook )

About a month ago two master students from Australia arrived in Hong Kong. Their mission was to study the life and circumstances of refugees in Hong Kong. “I want to find out how refugees and asylum seekers are treated here,” said one, “Refugees are my thesis for my doctoral study in criminology.”

Their journey started on a sour note after they sent a parcel to the Refugee Union. When it arrived, the Post Office issued a note advising to collect the parcel. The following morning at the Post Office a Refugee Union member produced his Identity Document to claim the parcel, but the clerk refused to accept his Recognizance Paper as a proof of Identity.

She remarked, “This is not a Hong Kong ID. We cannot give you this parcel as we don’t know you. I don’t know who you are and I don’t know what this document it.” It was very frustrating. We presented the Refugee Union membership card, but she was adamant that a Hong Kong ID card was required for collection. She called a senior who confirmed that either a Hong Kong ID card or passport was required, or else they would send the mail back to the sender.

We were unable to claim a parcel at a Hong Kong Government office by producing a document issued by Hong Kong Government after our passport were confiscated! Back at our desk we emailed the sender and explained the predicaments. They thought it bizarre that refugees hold a document that is meant to prove identity, but is not freely accepted in Hong Kong.

The Recognizance Paper with its archaic, imposing A4-size never goes unnoticed. It is meant to embarrass and demean refugees as an undesirable and unwelcome lot discriminated by the denial of legal status, even when Immigration takes a decade to determine claims. The classification of the unwanted starts with their criminalization – overstayer, outlaw and convict!

Shouldn’t the Post Office be briefed on and instructed to accept Recognizance Papers? Today there are over 10,000 such documents in circulation and refugees might need to produce them at one of the 129 post offices, where ignorant officers look aghast at bearers, “What is that? I don’t know what this is?”

The students found this story hard to believe, “In Australia we do not treat refugees like that. They enjoy their rights as human beings and live with dignity as everybody else. It’s a big shame what you go through. It is even doubtful that these arrangements are beneficial to Hong Kong in the long-term.”

Post Office does not accept Immigration Papers



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