Resettlement Routes Blocked: What This Means for Refugees in Hong Kong

In recent months, two major resettlement pathways for refugees in Hong Kong have been abruptly closed—leaving many in limbo and directly affecting several of ASK’s clients.

Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order indefinitely halting the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. This decision immediately suspended the planned departures of refugees vetted and approved by the U.S., including families in Hong Kong who had already resigned from their jobs in preparation to begin new lives in the United States.

This follows Canada’s announcement to temporarily stop accepting new applications from Groups of Five and Community Sponsors under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) programme, effective from 29 November 2024. Together, these two developments have closed off the main third-country resettlement options for substantiated refugees in Hong Kong, for whom resettlement was the only visible exit from a system that offers no permanent solution.

The impact is real and personal. Some of our clients were just days away from resettlement when their departures were cancelled. Others, whose vetting processes were underway, now face indefinite delays and a future of uncertainty.

At ASK, we are responding. Our welfare team is working closely with affected individuals and families to ensure they can continue living in Hong Kong with dignity. We’re helping clients apply for permission to work, access healthcare and mental health support, and find pathways toward stability—however temporary those may be.

These recent setbacks are a sobering reminder of how fragile resettlement opportunities can be. But with your continued support, we remain committed to walking alongside those affected, doing all we can to ensure no one is left behind.