‘Giving back dignity’: Hong Kong NGO teaches refugees how to land jobs, overcome city’s cultural and language barriers
- Christian Action’s Centre for Refugees is among 15 charitable projects being funded by Operation Santa Claus, a joint effort by South China Morning Post and RTHK
- ‘The main aim is to provide proper training to a group of people who are in a position to work, to give dignity and life back to them,’ programme coordinator at NGO says
Christian Action is at the forefront of efforts to help asylum seekers find work in Hong Kong, guiding them through cultural and linguistic barriers, as well as offering assistance to employers unfamiliar with the immigration papers held by refugees.
The NGO runs the Centre for Refugees, which is based in Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui, and said Hong Kong had so far granted more than 300 refugees the right to work, but noted many had a hard time securing work.
But this year, the centre’s employability programme, launched in 2017, has experienced sharp demand from prospective employers. It also received support from Operation Santa Claus (OSC), an annual fundraising initiative held by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK since 1988, to help more refugees find jobs.
Chandni Puri, a programme coordinator at the centre, said the number of enrolled refugees who had found employment had jumped to 102 so far this year, up from just 26 three years ago.
“The main aim is to provide proper training to a group of people who are in a position to work, to give dignity and life back to them,” she said.
The NGO attributed the increase to Hong Kong’s manpower shortage following the Covid-19 pandemic, especially within the local food and beverage sector, as well as the hotel industry.
