Our Participants

82.4 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes.*

In Hong Kong, there are nearly 13,000 refugees and asylum seekers. Our participants have fled from some of the world’s most serious human rights abuses in some of the hardest places to call home. They are running away from war, rape, violence and torture on a scale that neither you nor I could ever imagine.

They arrive in Hong Kong, alone and desolate, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the few possessions they were able to bring with them. The trauma of what they experienced in their home country is compounded by their arduous and often exploitative journey to get here and the difficult existence of being a refugee in Hong Kong with little or no support.

* Source: UNHCR Figures at a Glance (June 2021).

“When people in Hong Kong hear the word ‘refugee’, they only hear the word, they do not know the real meaning of the word. They do not understand the pain and anger I feel. They do not understand that I am a refugee because my hope and my future were stolen from me in my home country when my family was killed. I did not choose to be a refugee; being a refugee chose me.”

— Princess*, from East Africa

RUN directly serves:

  • 129 refugees & asylum seekers

    Our participants come from 21 countries.

  • 72 adults

    Of our adult participants, 71% are women and 29% are men.

  • 57 children & teens

    The majority of them are aged 12 and under.

“In my home country, I did not have the same opportunities that boys like my brother had to study or work. In my culture, parents believe that it is better to invest in boys. Later, when I was married, I was abused by my new family, but I was always afraid to stand up for myself or to speak out. Now with RUN, I have found my voice. I am proud of myself. I didn't know what I was capable of before. Women shouldn’t just be behind someone, they should have the confidence to step forward.”

— Camille*, from South Asia

  • 71% of our adult participants are female

    We have a special focus on women as female refugees often find it harder to access sport than males due to barriers such as religion, cultural values, past experience of sexual violence, cost of transportation and duties associated with childcare.

  • 46% of our adult participants have survived torture

    As a result, many are suffering from long-term physical and psychological issues such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, hyper vigilance or similar conditions.

  • 65% of our female participants have survived sexual violence

    During displacement and times of crisis, women and girls are especially vulnerable to threats of gender-based violence, including sexual, physical, mental, and economic harm. This violence can result in long-term trauma on survivors and its impact may not be easily recognisable by others.

  • 46% of our adult participants have been recognised as refugees

    Less than 1% of asylum seekers in Hong Kong have their claims recognised by our government. This is one of the lowest approval rates in the developed world. The high percentage of our participants being recognised as refugees means that RUN participants are among the most vulnerable, even within the refugee community.