Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China)

At the end of 2021, the total number of persons of concern stood at 278, mainly from Somalia, Yemen and Rwanda.

Established to work with Vietnamese refugees in 1979, UNHCR Hong Kong’s mission evolved over the years until the Hong Kong Government introduced a Unified Screening Mechanism (USM) to screen non-refoulement or protection claims. UNHCR is no longer involved in Refugee Status Determination (RSD) in the Hong Kong SAR, playing an advisory and capacity-building role instead. UNHCR provides legal and physical protection to safeguard refugee rights and seeks comprehensive solutions, including complementary pathways. 

In the region, UNHCR is represented by the Country Office in Beijing and a Sub-Office that covers Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SAR). UNHCR’s Sub-Office in Hong Kong raises awareness and mobilizes support for the agency’s global efforts.