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Justice Centre Hong Kong has been presented with a trophy by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) as one of the first hundred organisations to sign the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter For Employers. Signing this charter reiterated our ongoing support for racial diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Justice Centre Hong Kong appeared on RTHK TV 31's the Pulse to discuss civil society's proposals for ensuring all voices are safely heard by LegCo during the pandemic.
Justice Centre’s Research and Policy Officer Rachel spoke to the Hong Kong International Business Channel’s Talk the Walk about the Government’s proposals to amend the Immigration Ordinance, as well as other challenges faced by the refugee and asylum seeker community in Hong Kong.
Press Releases
Submissions
Justice Centre submitted a parallel report to Parallel Report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women for Hong Kong’s ninth periodic review under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Justice Centre, as part of the Refugee Concern Network, provided submissions to the Bills Committee on Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2020.
Justice Centre, as part of the Refugee Concern Network, submitted a parallel report to Parallel Report to the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights in relation to Hong Kong's fourth periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
find our past newsletters
Learning from Our Clients in a Year of Flux
Fight a Battle More than Once to Win It
Looking through the Clouds
A 20/20 Vision and Beyond
2019 Success Highlights
Gong Hei Fat Choy!
2018 Measurable Impacts
Hong Kong Unheard Voices
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Justice Centre Hong Kong has been presented with a trophy by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) as one of the first hundred organisations to sign the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter For Employers. Signing this charter reiterated our ongoing support for racial diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Justice Centre Hong Kong appeared on RTHK TV 31's the Pulse to discuss civil society's proposals for ensuring all voices are safely heard by LegCo during the pandemic.
Justice Centre’s Research and Policy Officer Rachel spoke to the Hong Kong International Business Channel’s Talk the Walk about the Government’s proposals to amend the Immigration Ordinance, as well as other challenges faced by the refugee and asylum seeker community in Hong Kong.
Justice Centre and 17+ civil society organisations are calling upon the Legislative Council to facilitate civil society’s continued participation in public affairs amidst the pandemic.
At its last meeting, the Bills Committee on Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2020 declined to convene a public hearing, citing Covid-19. This is the second time Covid-19 has restricted public hearings.
Do you have a keen interest in human rights law? Do you want to gain hands-on experience in an NGO? If so, the Young Advocates Programme is the right programme for you!
Open to students aged 15-18 with Hong Kong Residency, this programme runs several times a year and is tailored towards helping students develop key skills and experience necessary in preparing for university courses. You will get the chance to be mentored one-on-one by our highly qualified international staff lawyers and policy experts, and experience first-hand what work at an NGO is like as well as network with international law firms and experience your own cases.
Enable us to provide holistic services including access to emergency shelter, healthcare, hygiene items and counselling to help them overcome their trauma.
At Justice Centre, we provide legal and psychosocial support to the most marginalised communities in Hong Kong, including women and girl refugees who are particularly vulnerable to disproportionate threats to their rights.
The Policy and Research intern will develop public policy and research expertise and provide a valuable contribution to Justice Centre’s clients and the Research, Policy and Advocacy team. We particularly encourage candidates from minority backgrounds to apply, including LGBT+ people, disabled people, ethnic minorities, and refugees.
In response to media requests in relation to the Secretary for Security's blog article on the Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2020, Justice Centre makes the following statement:
// Under the Unified Screening Mechanism (USM), asylum seekers must overstay – hence committing an immigration offence and subject to removal – before they are eligible to lodge their non-refoulement claims under the USM. It is therefore disingenuous to refer to non-refoulement claimants as illegal immigrants, which also propagates the misconception that refugees are all criminals to the public.
Further, some asylum seekers may enter Hong Kong unlawfully, such as using forged documentations, due to safety concerns. Under international law, such as the Refugee Convention, refugees who entered a country illegally should not be penalised for unlawful entry or stay.
This is a full time volunteer position for those with a passion for refugee and human rights law. It is structured placement for a minimum of 6 months with detailed training and supervision provided. 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.
Justice Centre Hong Kong, as part of the Refugee Concern Network, submitted a Parallel Report to the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights for Hong Kong's upcoming review under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
The report discussed issues under the ICESCR affecting the refugee and asylum seeker community, including: non-discrimination; the right to adequate standard of living; the right to health; the right to education; the right to work.
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.
Help us provide mental health assistance and community support networks for some of Hong Kong’s most vulnerable people by donating $250.
At Justice Centre, our professional legal team works alongside our social welfare team to ensure that those seek protection in Hong Kong can first meet their basic needs and receive psychological counselling before working with us to secure their longer-term safety.
On Christmas day, we are delighted to learn that two of our refugee clients from the Horn of Africa will receive protection in Canada. After spending almost a decade in Hong Kong, they have finally secured the path to a new life.
Help us ensure Hong Kong’s refugee families have a home at Christmas by donating just $250 to our welfare accommodation services. In 2014, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) raised concerns over Hong Kong’s lack of comprehensive legislation in ensuring asylum seekers and refugees’ access to legal employment, vocational training and adequate housing.
At Justice Centre, we provide psychosocial support and assistance to refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong, helping them access the services they are entitled to and desperately need, including education, healthcare and housing.
Just $500 can pay for professional legal support to help us secure safety for others and keep families together. In 2013, the UN Human Rights Committee expressed concerns over Hong Kong’s deportation processes as it deemed the safeguards in the Refugee Convention not made available to asylum seekers and refugees in Hong Kong.
At Justice Centre, we provide legal and psychosocial support to forcibly displaced individuals and families who survived violence and torture in their home countries.
On International Migrants Day, we celebrate the resilience of Hong Kong’s migrant community. Hong Kong is home to over 580,000 migrants, including migrant domestic workers, and over 13,000 refugees and asylum seekers. Protecting the rights and welfare of migrants is at the heart of Justice Centre’s work. We have been providing legal and psychosocial assistance to people seeking protection in Hong Kong, raising awareness of injustices, as well as education the next generation of human rights practitioners, to create a just and fair society for all.
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.
Justice Centre Hong Kong will appear in RTHK TV 31's Hong Kong Connection episode this evening at 8pm to explore how Hong Kong's current immigration detention regime lacks transparency and accountability. You are more than welcome to join us watching the episode: https://www.rthk.hk/tv?lang=en!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
find our past newsletters
Learning from Our Clients in a Year of Flux
Fight a Battle More than Once to Win It
Looking through the Clouds
A 20/20 Vision and Beyond
2019 Success Highlights
Gong Hei Fat Choy!
2018 Measurable Impacts