News & Events

Justice Centre Hong Kong shares the Refugee Concern Network’s strong concerns over some of the proposed amendments to the Immigration Ordinance. Under the proposed law, protection claimants could be deprived of their right to interpretation, compelled to give consent for medical examinations, and detained for long periods, among other things.

As 2020 swiftly comes to an end, it is again time for families and friends to gather together to reflect upon the great achievements we share, and to conclude our year with laughter and joy. Taking this opportunity, Justice Centre Hong Kong would like to whole-heartedly thank all our supporters, pro bono partners and civil society partners for their unwavering support, and our clients’ faith in the work we do in driving change for a just and fair society. By working together we can make the impossible possible.

Welcome to Day 3 and final day of No Coffee Challenge! We trust you all are still going strong! We still welcome any companies/organizations who want to join us in the No Coffee Challenge! Simply pick any three days to conduct the campaign in the month of December.

Here comes Day 2 of 3-day No Coffee Challenge! We know you are still doing brilliantly without coffee! We invite you to join us to fight injustice through a donation of $40/day for 3 days in the no coffee challenge!

Today is Day 1 of the 3-day No Coffee Challenge, we hope you will join us in showing solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong by donating $40/day for the next 3 days!

For this year's #16Days of of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we especially call for support of those seeking protection in HK & worldwide.

This is a full time volunteer position for those with a passion for refugee and human rights law. Volunteers will develop legal and practical expertise and provide a valuable contribution to the Legal Services of Justice Centre Hong Kong, and to our clients.

In 2013, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child raised concerns that “In Hong Kong, China, resource allocations to education and social welfare remain inadequate and do not effectively target the most vulnerable groups, particularly […] asylum-seeking children.” At Justice Centre, we strive to provide psychosocial support to asylum seekers – both adult and children.

Justice Centre is looking for a Social Welfare Assistant. The position is on a 3 days per week for a minimum of 6 months.

Donate $40/day for 3 days in support of Hong Kong’s refugee families at Christmas. As we enter the month of December and prepare to indulge in feasting with our friends and families (following social distancing rules), there are many who are unable to do so, including refugees in Hong Kong who have fled persecution in their homes and are given only $40/day here to feed themselves. This International Human Rights Day on 10 December, Justice Centre Hong Kong invites you to participate in our inaugural “DEcaf – No Coffee Challenge” from 8 to 10 December.

Justice Centre Hong Kong and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) have joined forces to create a mobile app to help asylum seekers in Hong Kong understand their legal rights.

Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we invite you to join us in celebrating and amplifying the voices of survivors of violence against women.

Our former Justice Centre Legal Clinic Student and a current Justice Centre staff member will discuss how their careers as young lawyers have been shaped by their passion for and commitment to human rights and refugee law that transcends continents in an increasingly challenging environment for human rights defenders around the globe.

@321 Squat HK is a fundraiser led by Justice Centre supporter Saviera to raise HK$80,000 for three of Justice Centre’s refugee clients and for Justice Centre’s day-to-day operations in supporting the wider community of those seeking asylum protection here. Every dollar raised will be matched with a squat.

The right to liberty and security is a fundamental human right. Article 5 of the Hong Kong Bills of Rights, which mirrors Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and Article 28 of the Basic Law guarantee everyone in Hong Kong the right to liberty and security of the person. This means immigration detainees as well as Hong Kong residents are equally protected against arbitrary detention.

In these challenging times, Justice Centre Hong Kong continues to strive to work with our civil society partners to ensure services are accessible to those in need of protection in Hong Kong.

We discussed and made recommendations on the following issues: Refugees, asylum seekers and people seeking protection in Hong Kong; Immigration detention; Human trafficking; Consultation with civil society. We look forward to engaging with the government and decision-makers in bringing about positive changes for refugees, asylum seekers and the migrant community in Hong Kong.

Our Policy and Research Officer Rachel spoke with Ariana Magazine about the existing inadequacies of Hong Kong’s anti-trafficking laws, enforcement efforts and support for victims. We urge the government to adopt a comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation criminalising all forms of trafficking in accordance with international human rights standards, and call upon the public to be more considerate of the migrant workers around you.

The Donor Relations Officer will work closely with the Executive Director, Communications Officer, Board of Directors, Partnerships Manager, Development Manager and donors to build and execute Justice Centre’s donor communication strategy and positive relationships with individuals interested in the mission and vision of Justice Centre.

Justice Centre is looking for a team of Volunteer Translators. This is a freelance position with around 5 hours of work every week.

We are delighted to have secured financial compensation for one of our clients. Aron (not his real name), is a recognised refugee who filed a claim for unlawful detention against the Hong Kong Immigration Department.

We are thrilled to announce the selection of Melanie McLaren as Justice Centre Hong Kong’s new Executive Director, who was unanimously selected by the Board following an international search that attracted over 70 applicants.

Justice Centre is looking for a Development & Communications Intern.

It has been a great honour for Justice Centre Hong Kong to participate in a series of workshops and roundtables to drive implementation of the Global Refugee Form Legal Community Access to Justice Pledge, together with PILnet and a core group of civil society organisations.

A big thank you to Registered Psychologist and trauma counselling specialist Dina Chamberlain for her support of Justice Centre’s pilot counselling programme to help provide counselling to Justice Centre’s clients and nurture the next generations of trauma counsellors in Hong Kong.

It is with both pleasure and honour for Justice Centre Hong Kong to enter into a year-long partnership with the LSESU Hong Kong Public Affairs and Social Service Society - HKPASS starting this academic year.

Justice Centre Hong Kong has strong concerns over proposed amendments to the High Court Ordinance (Cap. 4), these proposals risk diluting procedural fairness protections for not only asylum seekers but all applicants for judicial review.

It is a great honour for Justice Centre Hong Kong to partner with the Lowenstein Human Rights Project at Yale Law School this year.

Justice Centre would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our pro bono partner Latham Watkins for their detailed legal research on the topic of persecution risks in the context of East Africa.

In September we said farewell to Raquel Amador, our Welfare Advisor. Not only has Raquel fulfilled this role for us over the past 2 years, helping our clients with their social welfare needs, but she is also the original founder of Justice Centre (then the Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre) in 2007.

We would like to congratulate and thank all participants for the successful clinical education programmes this year. Because of their passion and dedication, we are very hopeful about the next generations of human rights defenders in Hong Kong.

The lack of publicly available information on immigration detention makes it difficult to accurately assess the prevalence of detention in vulnerable communities.

Justice Centre would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our pro bono partner Dr. Sarah Borwein for her decade-long pro bono service to Justice Centre clients and the community of asylum seekers and refugees in Hong Kong.

The Community Outreach Officer is a new and exciting role within the organization, responsible for not only providing administrative, legal and coordination support to the Legal and Social Welfare Services of the organization, but for helping to further develop the organisation’s connections to the community it serves.

Justice Centre Hong Kong is very concerned about recent media reports on the situation at the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre (CIC). More than 10,000 individuals are detained under immigration powers every year. As of 31 May 2020, 399 people were in detention at the CIC, including 79 asylum seekers seeking protection in Hong Kong.

A big thank you to our pro bono partner Latham & Watkins for their detailed legal research support on the topic of habeas corpus in the context of immigration detention.

Justice Centre is looking for a Psychologist, responsible for providing direct clinical services to refugees, survivors of human trafficking and survivors of torture and/or trauma. The position is 3-day per week for 6 months.

Today, 22 August, marks the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. On this day, we pay tribute to the victims but we also celebrate those brave survivors of religious-based violence.

On this day of World Humanitarian Day (19 August), we pay tribute to all frontline humanitarian workers who continued their work for all those in need amidst the hardships of Covid-19.

The UN Human Rights Committee recently released a list of questions (“List of Issues”) for Hong Kong’s upcoming review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Justice Centre has had the great pleasure of having Evan as part of our team over the past 10 months as our Legal Casework Volunteer. He has been an incredible asset to our organisation with both his passion and legal skills.

The Assistant Legal Services Coordinator is responsible for providing administrative, legal and coordination support to the Legal Services Team and the Social Welfare Team in order to ensure services are provided in a professional, sensitive and efficient manner. You will be responsible for assisting with the design, upkeep and refinement of our working systems.

Our Research and Policy Officer Rachel will talk about the impact of Covid-19 on the refugee community in Hong Kong at 1:30pm today on RTHK Radio 3’s 1 2 3 Show with Noreen Mir.

On this World Day against Trafficking in Persons, we call upon the Hong Kong Government to adopt comprehensive legislation to criminalise all forms of human trafficking.

We are delighted to announce the successful appeal of one of our refugee clients. After many years of uncertainty, she has finally been granted protection in Hong Kong.

Eager to get active again after months of lockdown? Follow our Event Ambassador Wing To to stay fit while showing support for Justice Centre’s non-profit human rights work!

Justice Centre Hong Kong was delighted to learn that one of our refugee clients, Amina (not her real name), has just been granted the Permission to Work by the Immigration Department on a discretionary basis.

Thanks to the overwhelming support of all participants and community members, the World Refugee Day Virtual Film Screening 2020 was a great success last Friday!

Melanie Cheng joined Justice Centre 8 months ago as our Welfare Advice Volunteer and now, she is embarking on a new journey with our pilot Counselling Programme with trauma specialist and Registered Psychologist, Dina Chamberlain. Read more about her experience with us and her observations of Hong Kong's protection landscape as a former Family & Child Protection lawyer in London.

Below one percent – this is the success rate of asylum applications in Hong Kong. In other developed regions, the success rate stands at 30-40%. Asylum seekers in Hong Kong often have to wait for years, even a decade, only to have their claims rejected.