This book considers why Hong Kong has become a destination for asylum seekers, how asylum seekers integrate into local and global economic markets and why the illegalization of asylum seekers plays a significant role in the processes of global city formation.

1. Introduction 2. The global city and asylum seeking 3. Global phenomena and local responses 4. Crossing borders into Hong Kong 5. Establishing life at destination 6. Asylum seeker engagement with the informal economy 7. (Un)wanted people in a global city.

Francesco Vecchio is a postdoctoral research fellow at Charles Sturt University, and collaborates with Fondazione ISMU and Hong Kong-based NGO Vision First. He develops research on mobility and borders with a focus on refugees. Francesco completed his PhD in Criminology at Monash University, and previously worked in the nonprofit sector. He completed his undergraduate studies in History at the University of Milan and obtained a Masters in Intercultural Studies from the University of Padua.