New Migrants Call For Anti-discrimination Law

Many people in Hong Kong hold misconceptions about newly arrived residents of the city, a welfare group has warned, as it urged the government to bring in legislation to protect migrants from discrimination.

To mark International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Society for Community Organisation (Soco) led a protest outside the government's headquarters on Wednesday, involving about 30 migrants.

Sze Lai-shan from the group said migrants routinely face accusations that they only come to the SAR to claim social assistance and that they are a drain on public resources.

Sze said the situation has worsened in recent years and the government ought to correct people's misunderstandings about new migrants.

"I think they are a scapegoat for social issues, social problems in Hong Kong, and people get the wrong information. So I think the government needs to clarify more on this kind of information and it should have a mechanism for them [migrants] to lodge complaints," Sze said.

"Actually, the UN and the Equal Opportunities Commission recommend the government legislate on racial discrimination against immigrants, so the government needs to take action as soon as possible."