THE YOUNG REPORTER Volume 69 April 2026 Inside Myanmar’s tightened passport system Elderly Hong Kong caregivers bear crushing load Life after prison: why reintegration remains an uphill battle
MIGRANTS RISK DEATH IN THE ALPS TO REACH FRANCE
Letter From The Editor Many issues remain under-represented in the news because they lie in our unconscious bias. In this issue, The Young Reporter set out to uncover stories that are too often overlooked, both in Hong Kong and overseas. We tried to think out of the box and reported on marginalised groups – those who are less visible due to race, gender, socioeconomic status, and physical or mental conditions. Our cover story dived into the stories of refugees crossing the Alps to enter France in the winter of 2025. Other stories include children with special education needs queuing for over a year, former criminals trying to readapt to society, and those impacted by the complexities of Myanmar passport systems. As the oldest student newspaper in Hong Kong, we are a place for students to learn from one another, gaining both the practical skills and mindset of professional journalists. We seek to give voice to the voiceless. Read on. Kind regards, Zoey Zhang Yiping Editor in Chief EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Zoey Zhang REPORTS Amy Shi Ann Cheung Anne Baguio Anny Zheng Asher Li Beiyu Cao Carlos Li Chloe Ma Cindy Xie Cindy Yang Elaine Wu Elaine Zheng Faye Lo Jackie Xi Jodie Ng Lorraine Man Naomi Peng Olivia Li Pann Hhin Nay Chi Reena Liu Roys Zhang Shelly Rong Talja Blumenthal
1
DEPUTY EDITORS Bono Leung Henry Siu Kate Chan Sean Cheng SOCIAL MEDIA Laura Lou Luna Lau ART Quincy Qin Suri Yang ADVISORS Mimi Lau Robin Ewing PUBILSHER Zhong Bu PRINTER Win Fung Production
EDITORS Audrey Fu Anny Chau Betty Lan Darcy Ye Henry Li Howard Chen Jamie Yam Jennifer Yu Nathan Leung Richard Chen Shirley Zhou Sofina Zheng Stephen Feng PRINT ADDRESS Flat F, 12/F, Block 3, Golden Dragon Ind. Centre, 172-180 Tai Lin Pai Road, Kwai Chung, N. T., Hong Kong
3-6
Back or stay? balancing mainland student integration with school language policy
7-12
Long queues for special child care centres: what does over a year’s wait mean for families?
12-16
Migrants risk death in the Alps to reach France
17-23
Inside Myanmar’s tightened passport system
24-26
Shelters and government housing for street sleepers don’t meet needs, experts say
27-29
CONTENTS
Elderly Hong Kong caregivers bear crushing load amid service gaps
Life after prison: why reintegration remains an uphill battle
30
Hong Kong queer Christians: the struggle between faith and sexual identity
31
2
CAREGIVERS
ELDERLY HONG KONG CAREGIVERS BEAR CRUSHING LOAD AMID SERVICE GAPS Reported by: Henry Siu Tsz Hang, Sean Cheng Tsz Sen Edited by: Kate Chan Hiu Ying
I
n a cramped public housing flat in Wong Tai Sin, Li Yuet-
as far as the toilet, clinging to
Since he has moved home, ev-
furniture and walls for support.
ery need – from getting out of
siu, 74, spends almost every
bed to going to the bathroom –
hour of her day caring for her
After the accident, Li said her
89-year-old husband, who has
husband was hospitalised and
been bedridden since he broke
moved into two different gov-
“Every day, I help him eat,
bones in both hips and legs in
ernment-funded care homes.
wash and use the toilet. He
2018.
But he repeatedly shouted and
refuses to wear adult diapers,
begged to go home, making it
saying they’re too hot and un-
He can still stand and walk a
impossible for carers to help
comfortable, so I have to wake
few steps with a cane, but only
him.
up at midnight when he needs
has rested on Li’s shoulders.
Li Yuet-siu, 74, has been taking care of her bedridden husband for over seven years in a cramped flat in Wong Tai Sin. (Sean Cheng Tsz-sen)
3
“I’m constantly on alert in case he falls again. Still, I tell myself I must endure since there’s no one else to rely on,” Li said. The physical strain and broken sleep have taken a toll on Li, who now relies on painkillers for her back and sleeping pills prescribed by doctors to get any rest at all. She added that doctors said Li Yuet-siu, 74, sleeps on a pull-out sofa bed for convenience to take
she needs minor surgery soon.
care of her husband during midnight. (Sean Cheng Tsz-sen)
to urinate,” Li said, adding that her husband sometimes gets up by himself but falls. “Lifting him hurts my back
number of elderly persons aged 65 and over is projected to nearly double over a 25-year period, from 1.45 million in 2021 to 2.74 million in 2046.
“I’m worried, because I still
Li sleeps on a pull-out sofa bed next to her husband. When he tries to move, he always bumps into Li, which leads to her not sleeping well.
At the end of 2023, the govern-
have to arrange for someone to watch him while I’m gone. My biggest fear is leaving him alone, even for a day,” she said.
badly, but if I drop him, it’s worse... Once when he fell, I couldn’t lift him, so I called the ambulance service. The staff said moving him could dislocate bones or injure him
ment established what is called the District Services and Community Care Teams in every district that organise caring
further, but I had no choice. I had no training and no one to help,” she said. Hong Kong’s rapidly aging population is straining family caregivers, many of whom are elderly themselves and face chronic exhaustion, injuries and emotional turmoil without adequate support. An expert estimates there are around 180,000 elderly caregivers in Hong Kong. According to the Census and
Li Yuet-siu, 74, suffers from physical pain and emotional stress while
Statistics Department, the
taking care of her husband. (Sean Cheng Tsz-sen)
4
ment can strengthen policy and services.” Still, there is no formal caregivers policy to support them, Ng said, adding that there are 500,000 caregivers in Hong Kong, of whom 180,000 are elderly caregivers. In Sept. 2023, the Social Welfare Department launched a “182 183” hotline for carer support. It also launched a tempoCommunity organiser of the Society for Community Organization, Ng Wai-tung, hopes support policy for caregivers could be strengthened. (Sean Cheng Tsz-sen)
activities for those in need,
to roll out a series of measures
such as regular home visits.
to enhance support for carers.
Wong Tai Sin’s Chuk Yuen
The policy includes launching
South, where Li lives, has a
a Carer Support Data Platform,
care team of 12 members, vis-
which connects the data of the
iting 650 elderly households in
Social Welfare Department,
the subdistrict regularly.
the Hospital Authority and the Housing Authority, and
Li said two care team members
progressively more data from
visited her house once, asked
government departments and
briefly about her husband and
public organisations to expand
then quickly left.
the platform.
“I felt hurt. They didn’t even
“To be fair, the government
offer reassurance. A social
has made some improvements
worker later called, telling me
recently,” said Ng Wai-tung, a
to go out and relax for half a
community organiser from the
day, but I can’t. My husband’s
Society for Community Organi-
condition affects my emotions
zation.
deeply,” she said.
5
rary residential respite service for the needy. The community organiser also said the hotline, temporary respite beds and care teams are somewhat useful. In 2023, the Social Welfare Department introduced a Scheme on Living Allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families, providing a HK$3,000 monthly subsidy for eligible carers. Only carers who are not receiving dole money are eligible. Ng said carers who quit their jobs to care for an elderly family member may not qualify. May Fung, 67, has been burdened with taking care of her 92-year-old mother while
“There are more temporary
working full-time as a security
In the 2025 Policy Address, the
respite care services, and the
guard for over a decade.
government said it planned to
care teams are paying more
earmark an annual recurrent
attention to caregivers’ needs,
“Her cognitive decline has
expenditure of HK$500 million
but we still hope the govern-
been severe for the past two
months, knocking on others’
teams to prioritise resources
care home, unsubsidised,
doors and filling bowls of water
to allocate and identify house-
paying around HK$15,000 a
for no reason,” Fung said. Fung
holds that need urgent help
said it reached the point where
month, while applying for a
like Fung.
subsidy under the Social Wel-
she was no longer capable of taking care of her mother.
Ng said that finding a spot in care homes is difficult, as the
On Dec. 23, 2025, Fung asked
online information is not up to
Ng and SoCo for help to apply
date.
for government-subsidised residential care services but
“You can look for available
was told that the review for her
spots online but the informa-
mother’s case would take at
tion is one to two weeks be-
least a month to finish. Fung decided to look for shortterm residential care services for immediate help, a government subsidised programme that allows eligible people to stay for up to 42 days a year. Two days later, they were able to find a bed in a private care home in the Kwun Tong district, charging HK$62 a day. But the spot only allows Fung’s mother to stay for 31 days. Fung moved her mother into
fare Department, which allows her to pay HK$2,060 monthly. There are other options which allow her mom to live in a subsidised care home a year earlier, but it requires her to move.
hind, meaning that we had to
“I don’t want her to move
call each care home to confirm.
around and adapt to a new
Besides, the care homes will
environment again. Once she
determine whether to accept
starts living here, I hope she
the users based on their condi-
will be staying here,” Fung said.
tions,” Ng said. In January, Fung began searching for another residential care home, as her mother’s subsidised stay was coming to an
She said she has no idea how long the application will take. “I don’t want my mother to
end.
wait so long, since she’s 92.
But Fung changed her mind
as soon as possible, so that I
once the 31 days were up. Her
don’t have to pay HK$15,000 a
mother still lives in the same
month.”
I hope we can be subsidised
the home in January. “I was very worried and I wanted to settle everything down. I am 67 years old, on the verge of retirement, working 12 hours and visiting her every day is very tiresome,” Fung said. Community organiser Ng said he anticipates the government to establish a database for high-risk old-aged carers,
May Fung, 67, is looking for a second care home for her mother, as her
allowing social workers or care
first stint is coming to an end. (Sean Cheng Tsz-sen)
6
MAINLAND TRANSFER STUDENT
STAY OR GO? BALANCING MAINLAND STUDENT INTEGRATION WITH SCHOOL LANGUAHGE POLICY Reported by: Reena Liu Rui, Naomi Peng Yixin Edited by: Suri Yang Shuyi
L
ast September, the 14-yearold Wang Yuqi moved from
Beijing to Hong Kong, hoping a new environment would offer a gentler and more balanced approach than the mainland’s exam-driven system. But her stint in the city only lasted two months before Wang returned to Beijing, citing her inability to cope with classes being taught in Cantonese at Pui Kiu Middle School. Something similar happened to
The main gate of Pui Kiu Middle School, North Point, after school dismissal on Feb. 9. (Naomi Peng Yixin)
the 13-year-old Zhao Ziheng, a
land students arriving in large
university graduates worldwide
top math student from Wuhan
batches with parents under
who ranked last in his class
the Top Talent Pass Scheme
to bring their children under 18
at Tseung Kwan O’s Heung To
amid other pathways. While
Middle School, after struggling
non-government organizations
for six-months with English as
offer limited Cantonese help, it
the medium of instruction.
remains poorly marketed.
arrived.
As Hong Kong strives to posi-
Wang arrived with her publish-
tion itself as an international
er father. She couldn’t fathom
Wang’s first lesson at Pui Kiu
education hub, experts criti-
how the lack of Cantonese
cize the government and local
would paralyze her daily life.
schools for failing to provide
7
adequate transitional support.
Since 2022, the scheme has
This affects retaining main-
allowed high earners and top
to live and study in Hong Kong. As of February 2025, a total of 131,818 such children had
Middle School was Chinese history, taught mostly in Cantonese. “By the end of the class, the
teacher asked if we could all
According to the Education Bu-
understand what was delivered
reau, a total of 7085 mainland
in class, and if anyone didn’t
students have been admitted
The last straw for Wang was
understand Cantonese. I raised
to local primary and secondary
a cab ride to school. It was a
my hand, but I was the only
schools under various policy
short ride from home to school,
one,” Wang said.
schemes in September 2024—a
but the driver changed routes.
68% increase from 2022, acHer teacher offered her some
counting for 1% of total pri-
tutorials during lunch hours in
mary and secondary student
Putonghua. Similar help was
enrollment.
also available by appointment for other subjects.
The Home Affairs and Immigration Department’s latest
Still, the intensity of using
survey, conducted between July
Cantonese instruction left her
and September last year, found
isolated from the schooling
that 41.8% of 4,494 respon-
experience.
dents who are new mainland arrivals aged 11 or above faced
Wang began to retreat into
transition difficulties. Of these
self-studying textbooks and
1,878 people attributed the
stopped booking tutorials as
city’s education system and
teachers grew busy.
language issues as the two biggest transitional hurdles.
As lonely as Wang might have felt in her school, her struggle
Among those 1,878, 45.9%
with Hong Kong’s local lingua
needed school placement help,
franca was hardly a lone case.
up from 20.5% in 2022, due to
tight quotas.
Wang asked him about it in both Putonghua and English, but she couldn’t make out what he said in fragmented Putonghua. “He complained in Cantonese. I felt completely helpless at that point and cried in the taxi,” she said. Wang’s father said he had underestimated the extent of the language barrier his daughter would face, since he could get by professionally in Putonghua and English himself. “After the taxi incident, she lost confidence in continuing her studies in Hong Kong, having long felt isolated with no friends at school,” he added. Wang began missing class and eventually stopped going to school at all. According to the Hong Kong government’s school profiles in 2025, 126 of Hong Kong’s 507 primary schools offer lessons in Putonghua, with 31 of them using English as their main medium of instruction. Among 441 secondary schools, 114 use
Wang Yuqi used to take a taxi to school with her father, but one
English, and 15 use Putong-
experience of riding alone left her devastated. (Reena Liu Rui)
hua as their main medium of
8
Cantonese dominates local primary and secondary schools’ medium of instruction, while Putonghua is more common in primary school. (Source: Hong Kong government’s school profiles in 2025)
instruction. Of the rest, 71
eventually chose Cantonese
“This will further affect class-
offer Putonghua as a subject,
knowing society demands it
room participation and social-
while 241 of these Canton-
and English.
izing in school,” Chan said.
Chan Wai-kai, a principal of
In January 2025, Zhao, a former
Wang’s school offered weekly
Hong Kong Baptist University
math quiz champion from Wu-
90-minute Cantonese support,
Affiliated School Wong Kam
han, was admitted to the En-
but it was only available when
Fai Secondary and Primary
glish stream of Heung To Sec-
School, said mainland students
ondary School as a Form One
inevitably face setbacks from
student, which is renowned for
poor Cantonese listening and
its STEM education.
ese‑medium schools do not.
it met 10 students or more. By the time the class was finally made available, it was already two months into the semester, after she booked her flight tickets home.
speaking skills, as it dominates schools.
Although he was admitted
“By the time the Cantonese class finally began, she had already given up the will to study in Hong Kong,” Wang’s father said. Before giving up the fight altogether, he had offered to hire a private Cantonese tutor, but it was rejected by Wang. The father said Putonghua-me-
9
dium schools are rare, while
Zhao Ziheng ranked near the bottom among 26 students in his exam
waiting lists abound. They
when he was studying in Heung To Middle School. (Reena Liu Rui)
to the English session of the
“It often takes at least one aca-
arrived mainland students. It
school, Zhao found it hard
demic year for one to adjust to
provides a one-off subsidy of
to break into the Canton-
a new language and education
HK$3,725 to each newly arrived
ese-speaking locals’ social
system,” Yu said.
mainland student at the pri-
circles.
mary level and HK$5,522 at the “The results often depend
secondary level in September
“I couldn’t speak Cantonese
heavily on one’s language
2025.
smoothly, so I kept my head
preparation, language back-
down and pretended to read my ground, and school support,” textbook during the in-class he added.
“But it is not enough to provide
discussions,” Zhao said.
seling support for these stuChu Wai-lam, principal of Fung
sustained language and coundents,” Chu said, adding that
Not only Cantonese, English held him back too. Zhao could not solve simple mathematics questions because the math questions were in English. “I have to translate what I hear in English into Chinese in my mind to understand it, but the teachers speak so fast that I simply cannot keep up,” Zhao said. His mother, who realized his struggles with English much
Yu Rongjun said Cantonese is the primary difficulty for students
later on, added English tutori-
from the mainland, and psychological adaptation and integration
als late, but the gap persisted.
counseling should not be neglected either. (Reena Liu Rui)
“I felt pretty lost in Hong
Kai No.1 Primary School and
the mainland transfer students
Kong’s class,” Zhao said.
a North District councillor,
have increased teachers’ work-
said his school took only two
load.
After six months of continuous
or three mainland students
setbacks, Zhao’s mother decid-
in September 2021. Since the
“Teachers are already handling
ed to transfer him to Shenzhen. launch of the talent schemes, the number of mainland trans-
after-school tutoring for local
Yu Rongjun, professor of men-
fers in September 2024 rose to
tion work requires more man-
tal health and human devel-
10.
power,” Chan said.
University, said secondary
The government offers a
While schools face mount-
school students are particular-
School-Based Support Scheme
ing pressure, the Hong Kong
ly sensitive to environmental
Grant to meet the learning
Education Bureau has been
change.
and adaptation needs of newly
providing free 60-hour adap-
students. Additional adapta-
opment at Hong Kong Baptist
10
rolled in the 60-hour adaptation programme before deciding to leave Hong Kong. Wang’s parents said they were unaware of the courses at the time and only learned about them through social media discussions after reassessing his schooling options. Li Ming, a 46-year-old FinTech Lam Ching-yim (left) and Yeung Fung-ling said the government should
developer who moved to Hong
give more funding to support 60-hour adaptation courses. (Naomi Peng
Kong from Hangzhou via the
Yixin)
Top Talent Pass Scheme with
tation courses funded by the
a foundation, it may not be suf-
government for newly arrived
ficient for students with lim-
mainland children aged six to
ited Cantonese exposure,” she
18 since 1995, covering com-
added.
munity adaptation, personal growth, Cantonese and English teaching. Yeung Fung-ling, director of International Social Service in Sham Shui Po, said five branches of her organization ran
“For some children, adjustment takes at least half a year,” Lam said. “60 hours can only be a
his 15-year-old and 9-year-old daughters, said he never knew that the Education Bureau offered these free Cantonese classes for new arrivals, and his daughters’ schools never promoted this service either.
starting point.” Yu, from Hong Kong Baptist Neither Wang nor Zhao en-
University, criticized the poor
42 classes between April and December 2025, serving 496 mainland students under Hong Kong’s policy schemes. Lam Ching-yim, who oversees adaptation programs at the International Social Service, said they offer intensive eighthour and four-hour classes in summer vacation, and twohour after-school classes with flexible attendance during the semester time. “Although the course offers 11
Cheung Fang said allowing simplified Chinese in exams is somewhat unfair, due to the different writing speed of simplified and traditional Chinese characters. (Naomi Peng Yixin)
promotion of Cantonese-sup-
“Students coming to Hong
“The biggest loss is the in-
port programs as having ham-
Kong to study should adapt to
class teaching quality for local
pered the government’s efforts
the local system,” said Cheung
to intergrate these mainland
Fang, a 40-year-old mom
students. Our kids are being
students into local schools.
whose son is studying Primary Four at the Shatin school.
“The lack of awareness among
disadvantaged by this extra tutoring,” she added.
these mainland parents about
The Education Bureau stressed
While conflicts as such re-
the government-funded 60-
that traditional Chinese re-
main inevitable, Yu urged local
hour courses, coupled with the
mains the official teaching
schools to avoid exam bends as
school’s lack of promotion, has
standard, while the school is
a last resort.
undermined the effectiveness
reviewing the policy with no
of the support measure due to
full withdrawal yet.
communication gaps,” Yu said. Chu Hiu-fung, 43, local mom
Chan, the principal of Wong Kam Fai School, said, “as cross-border mobility contin-
Shatin Government Primary
whose son is in Munsang Col-
School allowed simplified Chi-
lege Primary School, said extra
nese characters in exams last
tutoring for mainland transfer
vate inclusive environments to
November, sparking backlash
students has placed an extra
help students adapt and build
from local parents.
burden on teachers.
mutual understanding.”
ues to rise, schools must culti-
Shatin Government Primary School does not penalize students for using simplified characters in Chinese writing exams. (Naomi Peng Yixin)
12
SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD CARE
LONG QUEUES FOR SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRES: WHAT DOES OVER A YEAR’S WAIT MEAN FOR FAMILIES? Reported by: Chloe Ma Yifan, Amy Shi Puxuan Edited by: Quincy Qin Ziyang
I
n a sunlit activity room of the Cheung Sha Wan Special
Child Care Centre, young chil-
moderate to severe disabilities
2,580 places in 2025, with 513
aged 2 to 6 before they enter
children on the waiting list,
primary school.
according to the Social Welfare
dren are drawing with a therapist’s help. Nearby, another
Lee’s two-year wait is far from
repeats words prompted by a
an isolated case. According to
speech therapist. These simple
the Social Welfare Department,
moments are government-sub-
the average waiting time for
sidised intensive rehabilita-
the centres is 19.1 months in
tion training for children with
2024. Experts and NGOs say
disabilities.
that this wait means a delay in development for special needs
Cherry Lee, 41, waited nearly
children, while families are
two years for her daughter with
burdened with extra costs and
moderate autism to access such
stress.
“The supply of places cannot keep up with the speed of increasing demand; it is not enough for those special needs children,” a representative from Hong Chi Association, an NGO operating three Special Child Care Centres, said. “This is the core reason for the long wait.”
a facility and receive intensive training.
Department.
The government added 64 centre quotas for a total of
Lee’s daughter, Sakina Muk,
“It would have been better if my daughter could have entered the centre sooner,” she said. “At the very least, she could have had an earlier opportunity to develop essential self-care skills.” Hong Kong’s 52 government-funded Special Child Care Centres provide full-day centre-based care and cognitive training, speech, occupational and physiotherapy programmes for children with 13
After Sakina Muk attended the Special Child Care Centre, Cherry Lee settled down in her own job. (Chloe Ma Yifan)
was placed in a centre run by
“Only eight hours of the inter-
months and 5 years of age.
NGO Heep Hong Society when
vention training per month is
she was 5 in August 2025,
not enough,” Lee said, adding
According to the 2023 survey
meaning she only has about a
that Sakina still needed nap-
by the Democratic Alliance for
year she can use the service.
pies when she was 4.
the Betterment and Progress
“Even with early detection of
of Hong Kong Family Affairs
her situation, two years are still After a year of receiving the transitional services, Sakina wasted,” Lee said.
Committee, 97.1% of parents
still had sudden emotional
of children with special needs are worried that their children
While queuing, the government breakdowns at the kindergarsupplied Sakina with the Onten, would bite others, and was
will miss this critical window
site Pre-school Rehabilitation
excluded by other children, Lee
centre placement.
Services, a transitional service
said.
where special education teach-
for treatment while waiting for
“The intervention should be as
ers provided rehabilitation
Diana Lee, senior lecturer in
early as possible,” Diana Lee
training in preschools one or
Early Childhood Education
said.
two times a month, according
and Special Education at the
to E Plus Consulting, the com-
University of Hong Kong, said
She said that timely and effec-
pany that provides the compre-
the critical period for interven-
tive interventions during the
hensive professional assess-
tion for children with autism
critical period can significantly
ment and treatment services
or young children with special
improve children’s long-term
for special needs children.
needs is ideally between 24
developmental outcomes, such
Hailey Lai, a 6-year-old child with autism, had a sleep disorder. Nancy Choi took her to the playground for a long time to wear her out. (Amy Shi Puxuan)
14
as language acquisition, cognitive skills, and social-emotional functioning. Another mother, Nancy Choi, 31, faced an 18-month wait. While Choi cared for her daughter round-the-clock, her husband worked as the family’s sole breadwinner. During the wait for the free centre, Choi enrolled her daughter Hailey in private
In Hong Kong, many NGOs, like the Hong Chi Association, closely
courses in different in-
monitor the service conditions and are dedicated to tackling long waiting
stitutions, spending over
issues for special child education services. (Chloe Ma Yifan)
HK$10,000 monthly.
“Some parents have to balance
people criticising me for not
taking care of their children
taking good care of my daugh-
with part-time jobs. The bur-
ter.”
“The financial burden was immense,” said Choi. For Choi’s family, who live in Nam Cheong, the journey to the furthest institution in Causeway Bay could take up to two hours each way, while the course is just 45 minutes, she said. They ate on the bus to save time. “Not just me, my daughter has also been rushing around,” Choi said. “Why must a child suffer so much?” Sunny Tong, the Head of Com-
den is very heavy,” said Tong. Choi said she occasionally had Of parents of children with
trouble sleeping and experi-
special needs, 69.1% reported
ences emotional breakdowns.
feeling under a lot of pressure to care for their children,
Wong Wai-Ching, an associate
according to the DAB 2023
professor in the Department of
survey.
Social Work and Social Administration at The University of
Before entering the Special
Hong Kong, said parents car-
Child Care Centre, Choi said
ing for children with special
she felt helpless and over-
needs often suffer from chronic
whelmed because Lai some-
stress.
times could not control her emotions.
“Without timely intervention, parents are highly likely to
munications and Fundraising
Hailey, who is 6 now, often had
of the Hong Chi Association,
emotional meltdowns in public, anxiety disorders,” Wong add-
said that during the waiting
lying on the ground screaming
period, some parents pay for
and removing all her clothes.
private training for their chil-
“I have no idea how to comfort
After attending the Special
dren, but the costs are high.
her,” Choi said. “There will be
Child Care Centre for two
15
develop clinical depression or ed.
months, Sakina began to make
Address, the government plans
“Policymakers should prioritise
eye contact with strangers and
to add 220 Special Child Care
pronounce words more clearly,
Centre places and is seeking
them to address service gaps,”
her mother said.
new sites through public housing and urban renewal projects,
Diana Lee said. “So that Hong Kong can build an equitable,
The special education teacher
with a goal of “zero waiting
evidence-driven early child-
provides targeted training to
time”, as set in 2020.
hood special education sys-
address Sakina’s lack of selfcare skills, and now she no
Diana Lee suggests future ef-
longer needs nappies, Cherry
forts should focus on tracking
Lee said.
the growth and development of children who received special
Choi said she was also able to
child care services, enhancing
cancel most private therapies
professional training for early
after securing a place in August
childhood special educators
2023, keeping only a weekly
and promoting public-NGO
speech session.
partnerships to fund early
According to the 2025 Policy
tem.” For Cherry Lee, hope is now tangible. “I want my daughter to have a normal and happy childhood,” she said. “After accessing the
childhood special education
Special Child Care Centre, this
projects.
seems achievable.”
Special Child Care Centres funded by the Social Welfare Department can provide free full-day rehabilitation services for children with special education needs. Activities such as hydrotherapy and horseback riding are offered free of charge. (Chloe Ma Yifan)
16
REFUGEES
MIGRANTS RISK DEATH IN THE ALPS TO REACH FRANCE Reported by: Bono Leung Chi Ngai Edited by: Henry Siu Tsz Hang
“G
ood luck. Danger – call 112,” a volunteer from
the 2,000-metre Alps to reach
Soon they found a shallow
France that night. Others have
mountain cave, and they hud-
a refugee shelter reiterated to a
died on this same route before.
dled inside to rest.
group of around 15 migrants at
If these migrants get in trou-
the bus stop in Oulx, an Ital-
ble in the mountains, emer-
It was below freezing. They
ian town near the border with
gency operators will put them
wrapped their limbs with ther-
France, on Dec. 4, 2025.
in touch with the Italian Red
mal blankets; wrapped their
To avoid being caught by
Cross to save them.
limbs with thermal blankets;
the French police when they
some had bread with an energy
crossed the border, these mi-
An hour later, their bus arrived
drink; others lay on the floor for
grants were planning to ascend
its climb into the mountains.
a nap.
Abraham, 20, a migrant from Sudan, looks out from a hidden cave in Claviere at the Hautes-Alps on Dec. 4. (Bono Leung Chi-ngai)
17
Hamazan (from left), Abraham, and Michael wait for the sky to darken completely at a hidden cave in Claviere prior to their crossing to France through the Alps on Dec. 4. (Bono Leung Chi-ngai)
Claviere – a small Italian Alps village near the French border – and the group began its climb into the mountains. Soon they found a shallow mountain cave, and they huddled inside to rest. It was below freezing. They wrapped their limbs with thermal blankets; some had bread with an energy drink; others lay on the floor for a nap.
On Dec. 4, 2025, a group of around 15 migrants took the bus from Oulx to Claviere with a one-way ticket costing €4.3. (Bono Leung Chi-ngai)
18
REFUGEES
19
Migrants first cover their limbs with thermal blankets, then cover them with socks and gloves to prevent hypothermia. (Bono Leung Chi-ngai)
20
The mountains that claimed lives
Thousands of migrants each
the major transition point prior
war and unemployment in Afri-
year brave the mountain pass-
to their departure to either the
ca. They already had crossed the
es from Oulx in Italy to Mon-
more popular, southwest town
dangerous Mediterranean Sea
genèvre in France to avoid po-
of Claviere or the northwest
on rubber boats and now ar-
lice. Since the reintroduction of
town of Bardonecchia before
rived in the upper part of Italy.
border controls by France after
crossing the border.
Jessica Ostorero Xhixha, a res-
the 2015 Paris attacks, push-
cuer and spokesperson for the
backs by French border police
The around 30 sq-metre re-
Italian Red Cross, estimated a
to migrants in the Hautes-Alps
ception was filled with chairs;
hundred migrants try to cross
region have become routine,
drawn pictures in English, Ar-
the mountains to France daily.
even though denying access to
abic and other languages with
asylum seekers is illegal under
various countries’ flags were
“By these days we have just a
EU law.
stuck onto the walls; I observed
few 20, 25 migrants every day,
around 20 migrants inside the
but sometimes we have more,
In early December, I visited
shelter each day. Most of them
like two weeks ago. We are like
Rifugio Fraternità Massi, a ref-
came from Africa.
a hundred every day,” she said.
Most of them are escaping from
In 2025, Xhixha said most of the
ugee shelter in Oulx, to report on African migrants. Oulx is
There are two ways for migrants to evade French border patrols. (Bono Leung Chi-ngai)
21
Migrants cross the snowy mountain at night. (Bono Leung Chi-ngai)
migrants were single men and children from Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Around one in five migrants suffered musculoskeletal injuries, like a sprain or bone fracture, and one in ten sustained frostbite in winter, according to Tous Migrant, an advocacy group based in France. “And for other nationalities like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, they always tell us, ‘but in my own country, we have the highest mountains’. I know that but they didn’t think about the risk,” she said. That December night, I followed
the group of 15 refugees from Oulx to Claviere and documented their journey prior to their crossing of the border. After hiding in the cave until the sun set around 6pm, the group of migrants split into three: two started their journey, heading off in different directions to lower the chances of getting caught by border police. Four Sudanese men – Abraham, Michael, Muhammad and Hamazan – stayed behind. Abraham and Michael had already been stopped once by the French police at the border and were sent back to Italy. The police said they had seen them
getting off the bus in Claviere. Now, they are trying again. To avoid being spotted easily, the four men waited for two more hours inside the cave. It was expected to drop to -7°C around midnight. Snow blanketed the mountains, and the only sound came from droplets striking the cave floor — plink, plink, plink. As the clock hit 8pm, they left the cave to begin their journey. They crossed highways, passed wood houses and a church, then vanished into the woods covered in deep snow.
22
Law violations at the Alpine Border In Oulx, legal advisor Silvia
ropean Union in 2023 confirmed
after November 2024.
Chicco from Associazione per
this, ruling that France cannot
gli Studi Giuridici sull’Immi-
use “refusal of entry” at an
In 2024, 4,562 people were
grazione, a law association
internal Schengen border as a
arrested by the French border
related to migration, advises
shortcut to remove people, mi-
migrants about their right to
grants in this case who have the
police in Montgenèvre, accord-
apply for asylum. “People know
legal right to apply for asylum.
they need protection,” she said,
The French Council of State
“but they don’t know how to
later supported the decision in
ask for it.”
February 2024.
The right to asylum and the
According to the French Doc-
right to subsidiary protection
tors of the World, between
are guaranteed in the EU by Ar-
February and November 2024,
ticle 18 and Article 19 of the EU
migrants who presented them-
Charter of Fundamental Rights.
selves as asylum seekers were
That means that EU countries,
mostly admitted into France
like Italy and France, cannot
through the Montgenèvre bor-
ing to the French government. These people are sent back to Italy and most of them are trying again, Chicco said. Chicco links the change to the French politician Bruno Retailleau, the appointed Minister for the Interior from September 2024, who has called for “less immigration, more security”.
refuse entry to migrants seeking der.
“What happens depends on
asylum.
which policeman they meet.
The Court of Justice of the Eu-
However, they observed “a very
Sometimes they listen; some-
sharp increase” of pushbacks
times they don’t,” she said.
“Siamo Tuttx migrantx”, which translates as “we are all migrants”, and “La Frontiere Tue”, which translates as “the border kills”, are graffitied on a wall at the Ital-
23
ian Strada Statale (SS24) del Monginevro, a 96.5km highway. (Bono Leung Chi-ngai)
From Sudan to the Netherlands
The four Sudanese men walk through the road next to the church in Claviere. (Bono Leung Chi-ngai)
Abraham, 20, and Michael, 21, have been friends since school in Sudan. They fled for safety after the outbreak of the 2023 Sudanese civil war.
one [crossing the mountains]
it. After climbing through the
even seems easy to me,” Abra-
Alps overnight, they reached
ham said.
Refuge Solidaire in Briançon, France, and later took a train to
That night, the four men hiked straight uphill in the snow to
“In our country, there is no hope at all. We lost everything back in our country,” Abraham said.
reach the French border. The climb was treacherous. Muhammad slipped twice on a snowy slope, later he decided to give up, was rescued by the Italian
The two endured 18 months in Libya, escaping traffickers and kidnappers before reaching Italy after eight failed attempts across the Mediterranean.
Red Cross and was brought back to Oulx. The other three continued and soon they were over the border. French border police roamed
In Turin, Italy, they tried to attend local school but struggled with Italian language. They eventually decided to head to the Netherlands, where English is widely spoken. “I faced a lot of difficulties. This
the woods looking for migrants, but they were lucky and slipped
Paris, then the Netherlands. They applied for asylum, rested for around a week and are now waiting for an interview for the asylum application. If successful, they can receive a resident permit and stay in Europe. A Christian, Abraham said his faith in God supported him through the journey. “If you trust God, everything is going to work out,” he said. Still, he said
into France unseen.
he needed to take a rest.
I stayed on the Italian side and
“This is a game. We have to
bid them farewell. On the after-
try one more time. That is all,”
noon of Dec. 5, Abraham called
Abraham said, the other mi-
me from France: they had made
grants agreeing with him.
24
MYANMAR PASSPORT ISSUES
INSIDE MYANMAR’S TIGHTENED PASSPORT SYSTEM Reported by: Asher Li Yuzhou, Hnin Nay Chi Pann Edited by: Sofina Zheng Xinyi
I
n early 2023, 28-year-old Scarlett, not her real name,
queued up to enter Thailand at the Thai-Myanmar border, clutching her passport as she waited for her turn at the checkpoint. This was not for studying abroad, but an escape for survival. She feared that staying longer would permanently strip her of the possibility of leaving legally. “If my passport were scanned at the airport, I am afraid that
Myanmar’s passport system has turned from a travel document to an exit control. (Asher Li Yuzhou)
until she reached Thailand.
it would be flagged,” said Scar-
clude participants in the Civil Disobedience Movement — a
lett. “That’s why I chose to
Since the 2021 military coup,
nationwide non-violent pro-
leave from the Thai-Myanmar
Myanmar’s passport system
test campaign that started in
border,” she said, referring to
has increasingly functioned
February 2021, in which civil
its less stringent procedures.
as a tool of exit control rather
servants went on strike in pro-
than merely a document for
test of military rule following
When she stepped up to the
international travel. According
the coup.
counter, the officer flipped
to a 2025 report by the Danish
through her red passport and
Immigration Service, Myanmar
More than 417,000 civil ser-
looked at her briefly.
authorities have circulated files
vants had joined the move-
of blacklisted people to air-
ment, according to an official
“Okay, next,” said the immigra-
ports and border checkpoints,
brief from the National Unity
tion officer.
allowing immigration officers
Government of Myanmar. The
to identify individuals and bar
movement was even nominat-
He waved her through without
them from leaving the country
ed for the Nobel Peace Prize in
running the passport through
with a passport scan.
2022.
Those barred from leaving in-
Scarlett was one of them.
a scanner. Scarlett exited the gate and dared not slow down 25
Before the 2021 movement, she
officers assess a traveller’s eligi-
In January 2026, the Ministry of
worked as a doctor at a pub-
bility to depart.
Labour issued a notice stating that Job Passport holders must
lic hospital. After the military seized power, she joined the
Unlike most countries that
apply for overseas departure
Civil Disobedience Movement
issue three main types of pass-
clearance at least five working
by refusing to return to her
ports — ordinary, official and
days in advance, and that they
position at a military-controlled
diplomatic — Myanmar uses a
would only be permitted to
hospital.
highly specific nine-type sys-
leave after their names were
tem. Civilian passports are di“They sent me three letters,
vided into seven subcategories
telling me to return to work,”
based on the purpose of travel,
Scarlett said. “I was official-
according to the Myanmar
ly fired when I didn’t comply.
Passport Issuing Office.
Later, I began hearing through personal connections that
These passports range from
my passport might have been
visiting purposes and overseas
placed on a blacklist.”
job seekers to those issued for students, seamen, business
Scarlett was one of many whose
travellers, religious workers,
passports have become the sub-
and dependents.
ject of heightened scrutiny. Even for travellers who are not For those navigating interna-
blacklisted, these classifica-
tional travel after the coup,
tions can shape how mobility is
holding a valid passport is no
managed, how passport renew-
longer enough. The subcategory
als are processed, and what ad-
printed inside the passport can
ditional approvals are required
also influence how immigration
before departure.
posted on the ministry’s social media platforms, even if they had all necessary documentation for overseas employment. Because of this system, the choice of passport category becomes a strategic one for some applicants. Theo, not his real name, a 21-year-old social science student from Myanmar now studying on a full scholarship at Hong Kong Baptist University, said he applied for a Visit Passport when he left for Hong Kong despite being eligible for an education one because of restrictions that may be placed on such passport holders when leaving the country. “Education Passport holders are only allowed to go overseas for educational purposes,” Theo said. “They can’t travel to other countries for short visits from Myanmar.” Choosing a more flexible category, he said, felt safer.
People gather outside the departure area at Yangon International Airport, Myanmar on Feb. 5. (Pann Hnin Nay Chi)
The restrictions do not just stop at rules and regulations regarding international travel.
26
venting brain drain. “The brain drain argument is valid to some extent,” Sai said. “But it’s not merely about stopping people from leaving. It’s also about keeping people under their monitoring, and controlling those who might resist the government.” Theo, 21, hopes that the Burmese passport system can be improved
As of March 2026, more than
as soon as possible. ( Asher Li Yuzhou)
22,000 people remain detained
For many people, obtaining or
for pro-democracy related
“There was no other choice.”
renewing a passport can be a challenging task.
offences, according to the daily The trip cost her around HK$10,000.
Mary, not her real name, a 25-year-old student from
These additional costs, cou-
Myanmar who is currently
pled with less than transparent
studying in Hong Kong Baptist
procedures have created barri-
University, encountered those
ers for many people seeking to
difficulties before she was due
leave the country.
to begin her studies in Hong Kong in 2023.
Data from the Myanmar Youth Survey 2024 show that almost
She needed to renew her pass-
half of the respondents inter-
port for her visa applications
ested in migration do not have
just as authorities closed all
valid travel documentation,
passport offices across Myan-
and more than 90% have never
mar. With no indication of
possessed such documents, ac-
when services would resume,
cording to the United Nations
she was forced to buy a Bud-
Development Programme.
reports from Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, many of whom were members of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Scarlett said that if her passport had been scanned at the border that day in 2023, she might have joined the thousands now behind bars.
dhist tour package to Bodh Gaya, India. At that time, au-
Sai Htong Kham, a 33-year-old
thorities were only processing
PhD student from Myanmar at
passport applications for those
the Department of Asian
going on that pilgrimage tour.
and Policy Studies at the The Education University of Hong
“I had already received my
Kong, said that the tightening
offer from school and needed
of passport controls since 2021
a new passport,” Mary said. 27
might go beyond simply pre-
Sai Htong Kham, 33, is concerned about the young people affected by Myanmar's passport system. (Asher Li Yuzhou)
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
SHELTERS AND GOVERNMENT HOUSING FOR STREET SLEEPERS DON’T MEET NEEDS, EXPERTS SAY Reported by: Carlos Li Jinyang, Roys Zhang Jiahe Edited by: Howard Chen Ziyu
A
t night, Wong Hiu-fan, a 46-year-old former street
sleeper, returns to her temporary home at the Jockey Club Hostel in Lok Fu, a single bed in a dormitory room she shares with other women. She stores her personal belongings in a small locker she has a key for. For her, it is a warm harbour and a place to restart her life after a period she described as “full of worries”. Wong became a street sleeper six months ago -- after losing her job at a temple -- which she had relied on for income,
Law Sze-ha and her five colleagues manage the 24-hour operation of the Lok Fu hostel. (Roys Zhang Jiahe)
government transitional hous-
visor of Lok Fu, said the hostel
ing units.
does not have enough beds to meet demand. While many res-
The Lok Fu hostel where Wong
idents wish to stay longer than
lives in is a shelter managed
the maximum six months al-
by the NGO Neighbourhood
lowed, the hostel must accom-
temporary shelter in Lok Fu.
Advice-Action Council that
modate new applicants waiting
provides six-month accom-
for a spot.
According to the Labour and
modation, including 16 beds
meals and accommodation. After sleeping on the street for a while, Wong moved into the
for men and 26 for women
“A stable place to live is the
of around 750 street sleepers in
for street sleepers and needy
foundation for starting a new
Hong Kong last year. To get off
persons with a monthly rent
life. We offer guidance and
the street, many look for places
of HK$2,000. Residents facing
information to our residents
in temporary shelters funded by
significant financial difficulties
for applying to transitional
the Social Welfare Department
can apply for rent reduction. It
housing, and we also introduce
or NGO-funded hostels like this
is now fully occupied.
suitable housing resources if a
Welfare Bureau, Wong was one
resident wishes to rent a pri-
one in Lok Fu. Those who are eligible and lucky can move into
Law Sze-ha, 35, a hostel super-
vate flat,” Law said.
28
hold outdated perspectives and are unaware of both the policies and the relevant application requirements.” Wong added the application process for transitional housing also impose significant challenges for homeless people. “The process sometimes confuses me. It may be even more The information card shows that Wong must leave the hostel before April. 28, 2026 (Roys Zhang Jiahe)
difficult for those with lower education levels,” she said.
But strict eligibility requirements and a cumbersome appli-
By the end of December 2025, the Housing Bureau states that
cation process have left many street sleepers unable to benefit from the government’s transitional housing.
roughly 18,400 transitional housing units were available for application. But an expert said they were nearly full.
According to press releases from the Housing Bureau, transitional housing provides interim support to public rental housing applicants until the public rental housing units become available.
Wong said the transitional housing policy is not well known among street sleepers.
said Chan Siu-ming, assistant
“Some people are unable to read and do not pay attention to the news. As a result, they often
that over 60% of homeless peo-
“People cannot apply for a transitional housing unit if they are not eligible for public housing. It does little to address the real needs of street sleepers. It’s just an additional option for them,” professor at the City University of Hong Kong who researches poverty and housing. He added ple have not applied for public housing units.
Applicants who apply for Public Rental Housing should not exceed the income and assets limits. (Data from Hong Kong Housing Authority)
29
Wong recently found a cleaning
but to sleep on the streets
Qualitative Research Report of
job and a part-time delivery job
again.
Transitional Housing Imple-
at another temple. She said her
mentation by the Hong Kong
income may make her ineligible
According to Chan’s 2021 Sum-
Society for Community Organi-
to apply for public housing.
mary Reports of Hong Kong
zation.
Street Sleepers Census, 19.9% Lo Yut-fung, 49, another Lok Fu
street sleepers worked as wait-
hostel resident who used to be
ers or food delivery workers,
a street sleeper, could not apply
while 16.1% of them were
for a transitional housing unit
cleaners.
because he was also considered ineligible.
“Location is also a key consideration that affects one’s decision
“Since I previously gave up my
to move to transitional hous-
public rental housing qualifica-
ing,” Chan said.
tion due to family conflicts, I’m not eligible to reapply yet. For
“Most of the transitional hous-
now, I can only stay in tempo-
ing projects are located in the
rary shelters,” Lo said.
New Territories. They are too far from usual workplaces,” said
Lo said he will try to apply for
Wong.
According to government estimates, its new Basic Housing Units Ordinance which was to require subdivided units to meet minimum standards is expected to affect at least 30,000 units in Hong Kong. He expressed worries for the policy increasing the number of street sleepers as landlords renovate or shut down their subdivided properties. “They may end up sleeping on the streets,” he said.
another temporary hostel when he reaches the maximum stay
Street sleepers who move to the
allowed. If his application is
New Territories have fewer job
“So where can they live? No one
rejected, he may have no choice
opportunities, according to the
can say clearly,” Chan said.
This is the interior view of Lok Fu Hostel’s male dormitory. Each person has a bed, a wardrobe and a locker for personal items. (Roys Zhang Jiahe)
30
REHABILITATION
LIFE AFTER PRISON: WHY REINTEGRATION REMAINS AN UPHILL BATTLE By: Shelly Rong Miu Tung, Anny Zheng Wu, Elaine Zheng Yuan Edited by: Anny Chau Wing Yau People leaving prison face stigma, unstable work and mental health challenges as they try to rebuild their lives. Government support exists, but many still struggle to find jobs and adjust to life outside. Watch TYR’s video to learn more about the struggles former prisoners face in Hong Kong. Scan for video
“I'm so anxious and confused. I've already been in prison for more than 30 years, so I was completely out of touch with society when I came out.” -- A Bo ,63, rehabilitated person
31
LGBTQ
HONG KONG QUEER CHRISTIANS: THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN FAITH AND SEXUAL IDENTITY By: Laura Lou Zhengzheng, Stephen Feng Zhenpeng, Cindy Xie Xinni Edited by: Henry Li Yinheng LGBTQ Christians are one of Hong Kong’s marginalised groups with no official record of their numbers. There are about 1 million Christians in Hong Kong. A survey shows that among 1,433 LGBTQ respondents, 441 showed symptoms of depression. TYR spoke to three LGBTQ Christians and an expert in Christian studies to uncover the internal identity pressure and verbal insults they experienced in Hong Kong.
Scan for video
32
Past Issues
33
hkbutyr
The Young Reporter tyrmagazine@gmail.com tyr.jour.hkbu.edu.hk
34
35