World Refugee Day

The Bible records the fact that over 2,000 years ago Jesus was a refugee. As an infant, he was taken by Mary and Joseph to Egypt, where they were given refuge. World Refugee Day is a reminder to all of us that there are people today who also need refuge. Christian Action's work has been founded on the biblical ministry of caring for those who are in need, regardless of race, colour or creed and we've been doing it for a long time!

Karl Stumpf established Hong Kong
Christian Aid to Refugees to help
Russian Refugees

It was a German Lutheran minister, Reverend Karl Stumpf, who founded Hong Kong Christian Aid to Refugees, which later became Christian Action. 'White Russians', who had fled communism to settle in China, and then had to flee China during the Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949, were the first refugees to be cared for in Hong Kong.

In the 1970's, it was the Vietnamese who had to flee their homeland, arriving in anything that would float. Our care of this huge number of refugees was a major milestone in our ministry. By the early 2000's almost all the Vietnamese were either repatriated or resettled, leaving a remnant of about a thousand Vietnamese. The Hong Kong government reluctantly agreed to allow them to assimilate.

But in the early 2000's I became aware that there were many people sleeping in the streets, and they weren't homeless Chinese. I realized that a new wave of refugees was arriving, mostly from South Asia, with a small percentage from Africa. As a result, we established Chung King Mansions Service Centre for Refugees and Asylum Seekers. Current estimates place the number of protection claimants at around 6000.

White Russian lady registering to
receive assistance from Hong
Kong Christian Aid to Refugees

Moving house is traumatic enough for most of us, but a bewildered and traumatized refugee in a new land with new laws and customs; a new culture, and a different language is enough to plunge anyone into a psychological, emotional and financial crisis. The crisis is so debilitating that without assistance there's no way out of a deep, dark hole.

Because Hong Kong is not actually party to the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees, our government has taken a long time to fully engage with refugees and asylum seekers. But I'm glad to say that In March 2014 the Hong Kong government finally stepped up to the plate when they started screening refugees and asylum seekers.

I'm asking you to also step up and get involved - perhaps encouraging your church to begin a ministry to refugees if they don't already have one. Alternatively you can give a donation to Christian Action's ministry to refugees and asylum seekers. Your gift, however little, can mean a whole lot to someone who has nothing at all.