HONG KONG (SE): While the summer holiday in Hong Kong brings hobby classes, sports camps, and overseas holidays for ordinary schoolchildren, the reality for young asylum seekers and refugees is starkly different. With limited family resources, many are confined to cramped, stifling subdivided flats, where even running an air conditioner during the height of summer presents a significant financial challenge—let alone enrolling in costly recreational activities.
To prevent these vulnerable young people from becoming isolated, Catholic organisations across the diocese, including the Society of St Vincent de Paul and MercyHK, have stepped forward with a range of summer initiatives designed to offer dignity, respite, and hope.
The Refugee Services Group of the Society of St Vincent de Paul launched a variety of summer initiatives and long-term programmes aimed at fostering confidence, skills, and social integration. In partnership with the Pastoral Care for Displaced People of the Diocese of Hong Kong, the group launched a summer football training programme for 16 young people aged eight to 16.
The initiative benefited from strong community collaboration: De La Salle Secondary School in Sheung Shui provided field maintenance and air-conditioned rest facilities, while Tuen Mun Catholic Secondary School contributed a physical education teacher and ten student assistants, creating a positive environment for intercultural dialogue.
Maurice Yeung Kwok-leung, convener of the Refugee Services Group, said that structured sports do far more than pass the time. He explained that their main goal is to empower young people, as keeping them active alongside local peers helps build self-confidence, provides gentle guidance, and prevents isolation.
Yeung noted with sadness that, without positive engagement, some teenagers fall prey to negative influences during long, unstructured summers, making poor choices that can result in criminal records and damage their future prospects.
An outdoor day camp is also scheduled for August 1 to encourage interfaith dialogue, along with a family movie afternoon and social tea session on August 22.
Beyond youth sports, adult education forms a key part of their summer itinerary. An ongoing 16-session computer course is currently helping 10 adult asylum seekers progress from basic smartphone use to essential office skills, including email management, document processing, and basic graphic design. Graduates receive formal certificates and refurbished laptop computers to support self-study.
These children are innocent of their circumstances, as their parents came to Hong Kong before they were born,
Lucia Leung
Looking towards autumn, the group is preparing Chinese language tutorials, a youth table tennis class, and specialised vocational courses in cake design and barista skills in partnership with Caritas-Hong Kong. Yeung hopes that these recognised certifications will provide transferable skills for families facing future relocation.
On November 14, the Pastoral Care for Displaced People and Society of St. Vincent de Paul will organise a Fun Day for the families at La Salle College in Kowloon Tong. The event will bring together students, refugee families, and local parishes, with priests and nuns in attendance.
Complementing these extensive community programmes, MercyHK provides crucial frontline relief. Lucia Leung Mei-ling, a caseworker at MercyHK, explained that families living in subdivided units struggle immensely to afford air conditioning, as government assistance provided via International Social Service includes an allowance of only HK$300 per month for water and electricity.
This falls far short of actual summer bills, which can easily exceed HK$1,000. Consequently, MercyHK sees a surge in emergency requests for utility aid every autumn from families unable to settle their electricity bills for the previous two months.
She said that, beyond the financial strain, there is a deeper social concern. With schools closed and no planned activities, young refugees experience a complete breakdown in their daily routines. Deprived of positive outlets and supervision, teenagers are particularly vulnerable to negative peer pressure or even criminal exploitation.
The struggle is especially acute for second-generation refugees born or raised in Hong Kong, as upon finishing secondary school, they face a bleak future with limited options for higher education or legal employment.
“These children are innocent of their circumstances, as their parents came to Hong Kong before they were born,” she said, appealing to the wider public for empathy, understanding, and personal support.
To alleviate these hardships, MercyHK, in partnership with Christian Action, hosted a summer camp for children aged seven to 14. They also began the holiday season on June 27 with a movie screening of Toy Story 5 for children and parents, alongside young residents from children’s shelters whose parents are temporarily unable to care for them.
The initiative gained unexpected momentum when photos of the event were posted online. Moved by the story, a donor contributed HK$10,000, enabling MercyHK to charter an entire cinema on July 17 at iSquare in Tsim Sha Tsui for an even larger group of underprivileged children.
