A door opens on the 16th floor of Chungking Mansions. Inside, in contrast to the dimly lit corridor, a kaleidoscope of different people are talking on the phone and amongst themselves. This is the Centre for Refugees, which serves some of the roughly 14,000 asylum seekers currently living in Hong Kong. Their centre has the capacity to support roughly 700 clients – its preferred term for the asylum seekers and refugees it serves. Among them, about 400 have been granted refugee protection.
As the Special Administrative Region is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, asylum seekers face many restrictions here: they have no right to work and no path towards permanent residency. It can take years before their asylum claims are processed by the Immigration Department, and even if it is determined their lives would be endangered by being sent home, Hong Kong has long had a policy of not accepting refugees – and so even successful claimants must wait until they are accepted as refugees by another country, a process that can take up to 15 years. Only a small minority of refugees are able to work legally: 90 of them have been granted an exemption by the Director of Immigration.
Despite these challenges, many asylum seekers identify with Hong Kong, expressing simple, everyday desires that most Hongkongers take for granted: they want to study, work, hold an identity card, carry a passport and have the freedom to travel. Amidst this spirit of resilience, Jeffrey Andrews, head of the Centre of Refugees, and Uzma Naveed, diversity and inclusion coordinator, enter a deeply air-conditioned room filled with crockery and chairs, and sit down to share their stories. (She prefers to be referred to by her first name, Uzma, as it is common practice in her culture.)
Refugee creativity
Originally from South Asia, Uzma began working at the centre two years ago after her refugee status was officially recognised and she was granted the right to work in Hong Kong. As a coordinator of outreach and diversity initiatives, Uzma explains that a cornerstone of her work is managing the Ladies’ Empowerment Art and Development (LEAD) programme. This initiative empowers refugee women by nurturing their skills in traditional crafts such as sewing, jewellery making, and hand embroidery.
“The good thing about the LEAD programmes or kitchen-away-from-home cooking classes is that the ladies are refugees themselves and teaching other ladies how to make the products,” she says. “The more experienced ladies learnt from their own cultures and homes, meaning the groups don’t need a professional teacher to teach them these skills.”
By facilitating the creation of handmade products, Uzma not only helps these women preserve their cultural heritage but also fosters their financial independence and confidence. “We engage ladies in different activities like sewing, jewellery making and hand embroidery. Whatever they learn or make through these sessions, I go and sell them at fairs and bazaars,” she says. Creativity becomes a means of empowerment.
This unyielding spirit is evident during Refugee Week, an annual arts and culture festival. Now in its fourth year in Hong Kong, the week-long event runs from June 16 to 22. This year’s theme, Community as a Superpower, highlights the transformative power of collective action through a diverse programme that amplifies refugee voices.
While other non-governmental organisations like Branches of Hope typically celebrate Refugee Week with public-facing events showcasing refugee talents through dance performances, film festivals and fashion shows, the Centre for Refugees is taking a different approach due to budget constraints this year. The event has thus been scaled down to focus on an internal, community-led celebration that will take place in a relaxed environment.
For one day, the Centre for Refugees’ clients are encouraged to unwind and enjoy the moment among peers facing similar situations, while appreciating each other’s cultures through shared food. Clients can come dressed in the traditional clothes of their countries and their names will be called out as they walk on a red carpet. For the remainder of Refugee Week, the centre will welcome the wider community to participate in client-led activities and embrace those in need.
Power of community
At its core, the centre provides support like food and health care, as well as guidance when dealing with landlords. Andrews says that he is proud that people like Uzma “started as our client but quickly became a representative of the community.” But the centre also offers a variety of year-round activities for the general public.
One of these is what the centre calls the “human library,” in which three refugees gather in small groups to share their personal stories. For around an hour, participants hear different chapters of the clients’ lives. Some may share how they fled religious or political persecution; others explain the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people in their home country. It’s a powerful way to foster understanding and break down barriers.
The centre also offers two immersive tours designed to give the public a fresh perspective on the lives of refugees. The first, the Five Senses Tour, is conducted at Chungking Mansions – a teeming hive of migrant activity that is often misunderstood and stigmatised by locals due to its crowded conditions and reputation for crime. This unique experience invites participants to have a sensory experience in the complex’s warren of multicultural shops. They later delve deeper into refugee issues in Hong Kong through an interactive workshop at the centre, where refugees themselves actively engage in discussions about current challenges.
The second tour, Refugee Walk, invites participants to walk in the shoes of refugees in Hong Kong. Visitors explore a range of institutions like refugee service centres, religious buildings including mosques and Hindu temples, the former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, social service agencies and shelters. Andrews sees this as an important platform for local Hongkongers to gain a deeper understanding of complex topics like race, religion and culture. “We believe it’s crucial for the community to engage with these realities firsthand,” he says. “So they can move beyond stereotypes and appreciate the diverse stories that make up our city.”
Beyond these sharing sessions and tours, a deeper appreciation of Hong Kong’s multicultural fabric can be found at the Diversity Hub, a recently-built gathering space where an exhibition highlights trailblazers who have contributed to the city’s development, such as the first doctors and lawyers from ethnic minority backgrounds. (Andrews himself became the first ethnic minority social worker in Hong Kong in 2014.) These communities are not only integral to Hong Kong’s present but also foundational pillars of its rich past and future.
To ensure a broader audience connects with these issues, Andrews not only welcomes visitors to the centre but also regularly ventures out to engage with them by visiting schools, corporate offices and public spaces across Hong Kong. Through these efforts, he sparks meaningful conversations about the experiences of asylum seekers, refugees and ethnic minority communities.
Riding the wave
Aliou is one of the clients working at the centre. (He chose an alias in order to protect his safety.) An IT specialist, he once ran his own company in his homeland, the Central African Republic. About a decade ago, Aliou’s life was suddenly upended by escalating war and social unrest. As a former political figure and government worker, he was a target of both political and religious persecution. This violent chapter ultimately forced him to flee in search of safety.
With a flight to Hong Kong as the only option available to him at the time, Aliou arrived in an unknown environment. He waited for his family to be granted protection while coping with stress and uncertainty of displacement. Reflecting on his journey, Aliou suddenly pauses, then says thoughtfully, “I asked myself, ‘What can I do?’ If I give up, then no one will help me.” His perseverance and self-reflection were vital in navigating the challenges of rebuilding a life far from home.
But he didn’t let the hurdles phase him. Defiant, Aliou is primarily an educational facilitator and applies his IT expertise to support fellow refugees and asylum seekers at the centre. He teaches computer classes, repairs donated laptops and devices and helps people stay connected with their loved ones. Alongside his computer skills, he plays a key role as a peer leader, organising annual summer camp programmes for young students, managing logistics such as transportation and books, and ensuring budgets are properly managed to ensure various programmes are running smoothly.
A work in progress
While empathy and compassion for refugees have grown compared to 10 to 15 years ago, when asylum seekers were often treated to comments like “go back home,” Andrews says there is still work to be done. Aliou agrees. At the end of the day, he says, refugees are like anyone else seeking to migrate – whether to escape from persecution or for better opportunities. Instead of ignoring or judging them, he believes it’s important to support refugees in areas such as mental wellbeing, financial stability and education. This support helps foster a sense of belonging and equips them with practical skills essential for building a life and contributing meaningfully in Hong Kong or elsewhere.
So, how can the local community truly support refugees in Hong Kong? “Before supporting them, it’s better to know the refugee community first,” Aliou says. Awareness programmes and effective communication channels, like those offered at the centre, provide a strong foundation for building compassion and understanding within the wider community. Only then, by knowing their stories and challenges, can we create steps towards impactful support and better inclusion.
For more information, visit the Christian Action Centre for Refugees’ website or contact them via email or phone at +852 2723 6626. The centre is open to conversation for those interested or in need.
The centre is located in Room 6, 16/F, Block E, Chungking Mansions, 36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.