Government response to VF queries

May 17th, 2012 | Advocacy | Comment

Panel on Security (Agenda) 8 May 2012

Meeting on Tuesday, 8 May 2012, at 2:30 pm
in Conference Room 1 of the Legislative Council Complex

Revised agenda as at 4 May 2012

I.Confirmation of minutes of previous meeting

(2:30 pm – 2:35 pm) LC Paper No. CB(2)1868/11-12
(issued vide LC Paper No. CB(2)1869 /11-12 on 3 May 2012)
Minutes of meeting on 3 January 2012

II.Information paper issued since the last meeting

(2:35 pm – 2:40 pm) LC Paper No. CB(2)1804/11-12(02) (issued on 23 April 2012)
Response to the queries raised by Mr Cosmo BEATSON, Executive Director of Vision First, about the subsidy of the Government to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees provided by the Administration

“Hence, there is no question of the Government subsidizing the UNHCR
in Hong Kong or allowing the latter to remit funds overseas”
W H Chow for Secretary for Security

BBC: Ivy League education free on the web

May 16th, 2012 | Advocacy, Media, VF updates, programs, events | Comment

Many school children shed sweat and tears to pursue the privilege of a top university education. But only a lucky few will make the grade and then they will have to fund it. The tech world however is full of visionaries intent on disrupting traditional establishments. BBC Click’s Sumi Das reports on a brand new project which is already causing ripples around the globe as it is making a top notch education available to anyone, anywhere and for free.

“I have waited many years to see something like this that would empower working people, poor people, and isolated ones, to learn at the top level from the best in a more accessible way.”

http://www.udacity.com/
http://www.udemy.com/
http://mitx.mit.edu/
http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/
https://www.coursera.org/

Against a culture of suspicion

May 13th, 2012 | Advocacy | Comment

Well-intentioned refugee advocates on occasion employ restrictive categories to distinguish “refugees” from “economic migrants”, as if these two groups weren’t deeply linked. This labeling, made to benefit genuine versus bogus refugees, confuses already murky waters and jeopardizes both refugee and torture claims.

We note that some comments posted on the Hong Kong Refugee Information YouTube Channel are not shared by the refugee community. When watching some videos, refugees lament how bleak their future appears in the light of a mutually exclusive dichotomy that sorts genuine refugees from economic migrants. Their experiences, perspectives, motivations for travelling faraway in search of refuge, should not be simplistically framed within a purported (and futile) contest between two rival groups. Real world situations are more complex than plain labels that define refugees as champions of honesty and economic migrants as scheming abusers.

When reality is fairly appraised, a humanitarian spirit recognizes that any individual has the right to seek refuge for a combination of reason which may also include ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION. There are numerous cases where economic hardship is either inflicted or condoned by states unable/unwilling to prevent it for reasons in the Refuge Convention, namely, race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion. In other words, when oppressive persecution cripples the basic right to livelihood, one is inexorably forced to migrate to survive both physically and economically. Further, every refugee constantly weighs the economic implications of living abroad without resources, painfully aware his survival and his family’s well-being depend on the host country’s financial strength. (i.e. How much will it cost? How will I sustain myself? Will I find work? Can I send money home?) In ultimate analysis, people escape abroad to survive (primary reason) and, by definition, survival in a monetized world include economic decisions (secondary reason). That’s why nobody flees to a country in a worse economic condition than his own!

Moreover, due consideration must be given to the fact most refugees don’t have an academic knowledge of asylum or a procedural grasp of effective refuge application. Consequently, when asked by authorities why they fled abroad, most fail to distinguish economic deprivation from its systemic causes. Thus, on first investigation, they appear to seek economic benefits, but instead their hardship results from persecution according to convention reasons – the symptoms might be economic, but the illness is intolerable oppression. One of our members (incidentally a recognized refugee now) was unceremoniously shipped back to Addis Abeba after telling Immigration, “I come study English.” What he intended was, “I cannot speak English and need to learn your language to tell my story”, perhaps unaware of interpretation.

It is our opinion that refugee advocacy should not blame economic migrants for abusing the refugee system. Instead we ought to be mindful that “economic reasons” and “asylum reasons” are rarely mutually exclusive. Behind an individual’s suffering there is a complex current of social, political, racial, religious, cultural and economic adversity that propels one to seek protection, as well as a better life, abroad. A simple question like “Why aren’t there rich refugees?” underscores the reality that economics always play a part in asylum claims, as affluence is generally a trump card against persecution.

Accordingly, Vision First is against a CULTURE OF SUSPICION that is deep-rooted in Hong Kong and the rest of the world. We believe everyone has the right to seek asylum in another country and have her claim carefully and fairly evaluated. Vision First supports Tribunal 12 in its effort to hold governments accountable for the suffering caused by this culture of suspicion that continually violates the human rights of refugees, migrants and asylum-seekers. http://tribunal12.org/

Tribunal 12 — click picture to play video

Wax warriors fundraiser

May 12th, 2012 | Media, VF updates, programs, events | Comment

Our donation flyer reaches CNN

May 8th, 2012 | Advocacy, Personal Experiences, Refugee Community | Comment

Hi Cosmo,

A friend forwarded an email from you about how Vision First needs donated clothes and household items. I am doing some Spring Cleaning. Would someone be able to come to my building to pick up some donated items? I can have them ready by this Friday or Saturday. I live on Hong Kong Island — very close to an MTR stop. Is there any need for professional work clothes — like ladies’ business jackets?

Let me know — thank you!
Pauline Chiou
Anchor/Correspondent
CNN International

Here is the flyer that is securing daily donations to our very busy centre – please email it to your friends, thank you! And here is a Press Pack with more information about programs, members and how we grow organically with community support 🙂

Community work — VF + Community + Refugee power = SUCCESS

Hong Kong Refugee Information YouTube Channel Launched

May 6th, 2012 | Personal Experiences, Refugee Community, VF updates, programs, events | Comment

Where can my child receive free tutoring classes? Where can I get free legal advice? Where can I receive free counseling services? If refugees in Hong Kong ever want to know the answers to these questions and more, visit our multi-lingual YouTube channel It provides useful information on legal and welfare matters. We interviewed social workers, academics and NGOs who have extensive knowledge of the refugee situation in Hong Kong,

Before recording the videos, we spent some time speaking with refugees to find out what information would be useful while in Hong Kong, in particular for those who are new to the city. One of our videos asks: “What do I do if I need to see a doctor?” Given the complicated process, having it explained in a video will help. The videos on legal issues clarify in simple language what CAT is, outline refugee rights, and much more.

Language can be a barrier, especially since refugees come to Hong Kong from all over the world. For each video, we added transcripts that can be translated with YouTube’s captions function so that videos are more accessible to people more comfortable in other language. This means you can click on the captions button on the bottom right of each video and turn on subtitles available in over 40 languages including French, Hindu, Urdu, etc.

The channel is created for refugees currently living in Hong Kong. We hope that by providing important and vital information on a friendly platform, we will make refugees’ lives a little easier. The channel is only as good as its audience. It’s only useful if the videos are watched by the refugee community. Please comment and give us feedback. If you find any information missing or have any suggestions, please let us know. We want it to be as useful as possible.

* The channel was supported through a Hong Kong University Knowledge Exchange grant of HKD$3,000.

William Fitzgerald
Contact: hongkong.refugees@gmail.com

Dozens of families donate items to support our members - "Thank you!"

Rooftop Garden idea

May 3rd, 2012 | VF updates, programs, events | Comment

Dear Ms. Sturman and Ms. Flanders,

I am a student at Renaissance College in HK and was given your contact information by my teacher, Kathryn Bignold. I am very interested in (and in admiration of) the work you do at Vision First. I am particularly interested in the food services you offer and have a project proposal for you. I would like to start an ‘urban garden’ with Vision First from which the vegetables/fruits are used in the food services you provide. I’d like to lead a group of students who start a garden at Vision First and instruct the AS/Rs to maintain the garden. I haven’t visited your facilities, but an unoccupied roof would be ideal for a garden. If you think this project is possible or are interested in it, I would love to meet with you to discuss any potential plans for the project. Thank you for your time and I hope everything is going well at Vision First!

Sincerely,
CN

Hong Kong University Research Project: “Health practices, problems and needs among African refugees in Hong Kong”

Apr 29th, 2012 | VF updates, programs, events | Comment

Who are we?

Dear VF members. In the coming months you will meet me hanging out at Vision First. My name is Ms. Sealing Cheng. I am part of a research project on asylum-seekers’ health-related issues led by Dr. William Wong of the University of Hong Kong.

What are we researching?

This project seeks to identify and understand the health practices, problems and needs of refugees from Africa in Hong Kong. We understand that refugees live under very challenging conditions in Hong Kong – with no right to work, volunteer or study (except for children), refugees are dependent on the government and NGOs for housing, healthcare, food and other necessities. The current level of support for Hong Kong refugees is for basic survival. The impact of such conditions on your physical and mental health must be tremendous. How do you cope? How do you optimize your limited resources for your own physical, psychological, and social well-being? How are different kinds of health knowledge, practices, and access utilized – for example, folk medicine, over-the-counter medication, and public healthcare service? What kind of problems do you encounter when accessing the public health care system? These are just some of the questions we have in this project.

Refugees experience being rendered largely invisible in Hong Kong. But the focus of this project is on those from Africa because, unlike the largest group of asylum-seekers in Hong Kong who are from South Asia, those from Africa do not have access to any support and resources made available by a local ethnic community. Furthermore, their appearance also subjects them to greater scrutiny and discrimination in Hong Kong, given society’s very minimal interaction with people from the African continent. This may mean that African refugees experience a distinct set of issues and concerns regarding their physical and mental health.

What are our goals?

– to gain insights into health-related experiences of refugees through their stories and in their own voice. Your personal stories and the survey will provide both depth and breadth to our understanding of the health practices, needs and level of access. These will help identify areas of health problems, patterns of health behavior and risks as well as institutional, social, and cultural obstacles to health-seeking behavior.

– to contribute to developing solutions for some of the health-related problems faced by refugees in Hong Kong. The findings will certainly raise public awareness and hopefully inform future policies concerning this group. Would setting up a refugee clinic be ideal? Or should the focus be on making the public health care system more inclusive?

– this project is hopefully the first step in understanding the much larger refugee community and to building a more appropriate infrastructure to address their health needs. It is our conviction that addressing this aspect of refugee life is a crucial step to treating you with humanity and to assume our obligations to protect the rights of those seeking asylum.

What will we do?

The project will take about one year to complete. It is divided into 2 parts.

Part I – will take place between May and September 2012. This is the part where Sealing will be running around trying to meet and talk with people to explore the range of health attitudes and practices of refugees as well as problems with seeking health care services. It would be great if you could allow Sealing (with her research assistant who speaks French) to hang out with you – from everyday routines to picking up groceries and visiting local hospitals. 30 in-depth interviews will take place in August and September.
Part II – involves a survey that will begin by the end of 2012. Based on the findings from Part I, a questionnaire will be designed to identify patterns of behavior as well as demographic information in the population. Questions may include: places of origin, length of residence in Hong Kong, age, gender, education level, work/ income if any; specific information on family structure and relationships, health attitudes and practices, sexual relationship, smoking habits, alcohol/ drug use, condom use; general health status, access to health care, including sexual and reproductive health service. 320 questionnaires will be administered.

Naturally, the absolute confidentiality of respondents will be guaranteed. Pseudonyms rather than real names will be used for the transcription and archiving of all interviews. All information will be used for the purpose of this research only. No part of the project will be accessible to any government agents.

Mothers and babies find great support at Vision First

Beach BBQ at Big Wave Bay

Apr 22nd, 2012 | Personal Experiences | Comment

Hello – my name is Maria and I’m a Vision First Volunteer. I would like to share my experience taking 56 members to a beach BBQ on Easter Sunday. My story starts the Saturday before at 11pm when I finished texting the families who participated. I sighed and smiled. Finally everything was set after a long week of planning. The trip was on despite hours of struggling to decide whether I should cancel it due to pouring rain on Good Friday. Saturday had been dry and I hoped the weather would hold for this big occasion. As with organizing any project, surprises and uncertainties never cease. Sunday morning came with rain, wind, and a drop in temperature. I kept getting SMS from the families: they worried about the weather as some had to come from as far as Yuen Long with young children. I texted back to postpone meeting till 12:30 which gave me time to decide and them time to reach Star Ferry in Central.

I began to toss a few contingency plans in my head, but nothing seemed to work. No more thinking. I went to church. At 10:30 the weather didn’t get any worse. There was a little drizzle, but the wind died down. I knew we should go. I started to text everyone again and, to my great relief, only two families didn’t want to come. My spirits were lifted and I went with my son AJ to Star Ferry in a large rental bus for the trip to Big Wave Bay. The families showed up one by one, their faces glowing with smiles against a gloomy skyline. All of them, except the Egyptian family I sponsor, were new to me and most of them had names that challenged my memory. AJ started mingling with a few boys his age, his ‘new best friends.’ They passed out bottled water and drinks while we waited for the last members to arrive. When the bus started its engine it was already 1:30. By now the excited group had become a hungry crowd of children and parents. I did prepare some sandwiches for the bus ride, but I made a cultural mistake: half of the sandwiches had bacon that many couldn’t eat. I felt bad and sincerely apologized. I dug up all the snacks I brought: candy, chocolate, chips and more junk food. Instead of the grumbling complaints I expected, my new friends gracefully accepted whatever I offered and returned smiles of gratitude. We were all happy to be together on this little adventure.

We arrived at the beach slightly after 2pm and everything thereafter was touched by the grace of God: nobody got injured (despite one getting rescued!) hurt or was even unhappy. Eight young men from Somalia left immediately and dove into the sea to challenge the high waves at Big Wave Bay. They would later recall they were four meters tall! Children stood there looking at them with envy as they were forbidden to enter the freezing water. The kids had loads of fun between the shoreline and the BBQ spot we made our base. Pizzas were served to fill empty stomachs, while parents tested their skills firing the BBQ and cooking. It was something new for them, especially using the Hong Kong style BBQ forks and wire. Within an hour, the parents had become experts at cooking over burning charcoals and the kids enjoyed barbecuing marshmallows. By then everyone was running around freely, laughing, screaming and playing along the soft sandy beach hunting for Easter Eggs. Later we had a Sand Digging Competition between boys and girls – and the girls won. The day felt short when we had to leave. When the last guys boarded the bus it was already pitch black outside. Now everyone had become my “old friend” and I asked them: “If you are happy … say a big YES!” There followed the long YES that seemed to echo forever. Hearing that, I felt it was one of the happiest moments I remembered. When we said goodbye at the final stop, I knew I would remember this day for the rest of my life. That night I shared with AJ that we should do it again and next time invite our Hong Kong friends and their children too, because we know they will experience a blissful day that will stay with them forever – thank you!