You probably heard it before: “Refugees are not allowed to working in Hong Kong”. A statement that resonates with suffering only when you live in a refugee family where the stress levels are through the roof. We smile for the camera, but the reality is harsh because government support is limited to $3,200 a month for shelter, food, utilities and everything else. 

Where can we get help? Charities and churches support where they can, but the economy is bad for everyone and assistance is shrinking. There is no way out of poverty so we are forced to beg to survive. The Refugee Union is a way to centralize efforts and help more refugee families with your help.

Can one survive on $3,200 a month in Hong Kong? Food assistance of $1,200/month, or $40 a day, is not enough for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Rent assistance of $1,500/month does not pay for the cheapest subdivided windowless rooms that cost twice that in run-down buildings. The government assistance has no provision for essentials like clothing, shoes, cleaning products, personal care, baby products, school supplies, phone access, medicines, etc.

Refugees are treated poorly and looked down on in Hong Kong. But we are still people. We deserve compassion. We deserve a chance to live with dignity. We deserve to be understood. With the help of wonderful volunteers we published a booklet to help everyone in the city to understand us better. Please download and share:

https://refugeeunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/RU-zine-2022.pdf

High food prices are causing refugee families great difficulties as we don’t have enough money to buy groceries for a month’s supply. We receive food donations from some charities, but sadly it is not enough to meet the needs of our members.

Click the link to donate: https://bit.ly/3M5HEu6