Refugees in Hong Kong face ‘worst-case scenario' after US, Canada policy shift
Amid a slew of executive orders signed by Trump on his first day in office last week was a 90-day pause on the country's Refugee Admission Programme that took effect on Monday.
The news sent shock waves through the city's refugee community, many of whom had been waiting for more than 10 years to finally be resettled in other countries. Hong Kong does not grant asylum, but ensures individuals are not sent back to their home countries if they seek help for being in danger until their claims are substantiated.
Jeffrey Andrews, a senior social worker with the Christian Action Centre for Refugees, said that as soon as the order was announced his team began seeing clients come in panicked and distressed, some of whom were meant to fly out as early as this week.
The community had already been facing uncertainties after Canada tightened its rules for its private sponsorship of refugees programme last November, Andrews said. Social worker Jeffrey Andrews has called conditions for refugees in Hong Kong dire. Refugees in the city have to be resettled elsewhere. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
The move paused all sponsorship applications for groups of five or more people until the end of the year, with Canadian authorities citing a backlog of cases.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
an hour ago
- RTHK
Judge pauses construction of 'Alligator Alcatraz'
Judge pauses construction of 'Alligator Alcatraz' Environmental groups allege that the "Alligator Alcatraz" detention facility was developed without conducting the environmental review mandated by federal law. Photo: Reuters A US federal judge on Thursday temporarily halted new construction at an immigration detention facility in Florida dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" while a lawsuit over its environmental impact plays out. At a hearing in Miami, US District Judge Kathleen Williams blocked new construction at the site in the Florida Everglades through August 12 but did not suspend operations or otherwise interfere with the work of immigration officials there. The ruling is a setback for US President Donald Trump as he seeks to ramp up deportations of migrants and others living in the US illegally. US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the lawsuit ignores the fact that the land at issue has already been developed for a decade. "It is another attempt to prevent the President from fulfilling the American people's mandate for mass deportations," McLaughlin said in a statement. Trump has made Alligator Alcatraz emblematic of his hardline immigration policies, boasting of its location in a vast tropical wetland teeming with alligators, crocodiles and pythons. Officials have estimated the facility could cost US$450 million annually and house some 5,000 people. In their lawsuit seeking to block construction at the site, environmental and tribal groups say it threatens sensitive wetland ecosystems, endangered species and essential waterways. "It's a relief that the court stepped in to protect the Everglades' sensitive waters, starry skies and vulnerable creatures from further harm while we continue our case,' said Elise Bennett, an attorney representing the Centre for Biological Diversity in the lawsuit, in a statement on Thursday. Other critics of Alligator Alcatraz have condemned the facility as inhumane and dangerous to detainees. The American Civil Liberties Union is separately seeking to block deportations from the facility, saying detainees are being held without charges and denied their constitutional rights to speak to their lawyers. (Reuters)
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump to host Armenia and Azerbaijan for historic ‘Peace Signing'
US President Donald Trump announced he will host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Friday for what he called a 'Historic Peace Summit' aimed at ending a decades-long conflict between two former Soviet republics. Advertisement Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan 'will join me at the White House for an official Peace Signing Ceremony', Trump posted Thursday on social media. Baku and Yerevan, sworn enemies for decades, went to war twice over the disputed Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan recaptured from Armenian forces in a lightning 2023 offensive, sparking the exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians. The two countries have held talks aimed at securing a peaceful resolution, including last month in the United Arab Emirates, but a breakthrough had proved elusive. 04:49 Why Azerbaijan and Armenia went to war over Nagorno-Karabakh Why Azerbaijan and Armenia went to war over Nagorno-Karabakh 'These two Nations have been at War for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people,' Trump wrote. Advertisement 'Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to 'TRUMP.' My Administration has been engaged with both sides for quite some time,' he added, saying he was 'very proud of these courageous Leaders for doing the right thing'.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump orders US universities to prove they don't consider race in admissions
US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a memorandum that requires universities to collect admissions data to prove they are not engaged in efforts to shape their student bodies along racial lines, according to the White House. But the largest higher education policy and lobbying organisation in the US said the wording of the memo was vague and it may be illegal for schools to collect the data on race that the White House seeks. The move is the latest effort in the Trump administration's effort to dismantle affirmative action policies at universities. It has launched dozens of investigations and threatened to cut off funding to schools that promote diversity, equity and inclusion programmes. According to the memorandum, a 2023 US Supreme Court ruling knocked down the use of affirmative action in college admissions, but universities have been getting around the decision because of a lack of admissions data and by relying on 'diversity statements' students provide in applying that indicate their race. US Education Secretary Linda McMahon testifies before a Senate subcommittee on Capitol Hill in June. Photo: TNS The US Department of Education said in a statement that Education Secretary Linda McMahon had directed the National Centre for Education Statistics to now collect from universities data on the race and gender of their applicant pool, on the students admitted and of all enrolled undergraduates.
