In 2007, with the support of public interest lawyers, asylum law experts, leading international law firms and a pioneering family foundation, Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre was founded. 

As the only community legal centre offering legal help to people seeking asylum before the UN Refugee Agency, the then refugee status determination authority, the demand for our services grew rapidly. We responded by mobilising a network of pro bono lawyers, providing training and supervision to ensure high-quality legal representation.  

In 2014, the Hong Kong government implemented the Unified Screening Mechanism (USM) and adopted the role of adjudicating protections under the grounds of persecution, torture or violation of other fundamental rights. We became Justice Centre Hong Kong, expanding our mandate to encompass all forced migrants, including torture survivors, trafficked persons and survivors of other forms of modern slavery.  

Recognising that destitution and trauma significantly affect people’s ability to meaningfully participate in legal proceedings, we expanded our services to offer welfare support and psychosocial care, while growing our communities of practice to include mental health and medical practitioners, interpreters, social workers, and other community caregivers. We also strived to make a greater societal impact by conducting research and advocating for better conditions for refugees and other forced migrants in Hong Kong.   

We believe that people with direct experience of displacement should shape the decisions and systems that affect their lives. In 2022, we reaffirmed our commitment to refugee leadership. Since then, we have facilitated the founding of a refugee-led initiative, re-introduced our community leadership programme and piloted Hong Kong’s first refugee paralegal programme.    

In 2026, we introduced Asylum Services & Knowledge, by Justice Centre Hong Kong. By delivering high-quality services and sharing knowledge of best practices, we are building better systems of care, while supporting hundreds of people each year to move from displacement, destitution and trauma to stability, agency and protection.