‘Another door has been shut for me’: Iranian asylum seeker in Hong Kong after Trump ban
Those waiting to be considered as refugees or resettled overseas now fear for their future in the wake of a US order relating to seven Muslim majority states
Sam, a refugee from Somalia waiting in Hong Kong, has been longing for the day when the US government tells him he can board a plane and start a new life in America.
But having been screened by both the local and US authorities, his dream of being resettled now seems further away.
US President Donald Trump’s entry ban on citizens from seven Muslim-majority nations, including Somalia, and the suspension of the refugee programme, announced on January 27, are shattering the hope of dozens of refugees like Sam who remain in limbo in Hong Kong and have anxiously waited to rebuild their lives in a safe country.
The US and Canada have been the only two countries regularly taking in refugees for resettlement after their claims filed in Hong Kong were recognised. As of the end of January, 103 refugees were awaiting a durable solution.
With refugees now facing further uncertainty, legal experts and advocates have slammed Trump’s order, which has temporarily been halted by a federal court decision. They are urging Hong Kong to take more responsibility to help those in limbo.