Hong Kong ( CNN ) -- On a promenade that runs along Hong Kong 's harbor , crowds of tourists jostle for their chance to photograph the city 's spectacular skyline . But long after most have retired to their hotel rooms , one small group of visitors remains . The four men , who came from India in search of a better life , say they have been sleeping in the alcove of a building in Hong Kong 's Tsim Sha Tsui district for almost two months as they wait for their asylum claim to be processed . `` Lots of refugees in Hong Kong live in the same conditions , '' says Mohammadi Rahman , chairman of Refugee Union , a group that advocates for asylum seekers ' rights and helps them to find suitable housing in Hong Kong as they wait to learn their fate . It 's a feeling that Rahman , 30 , knows well . When he arrived in Hong Kong in 2007 , he , too , was homeless and slept on the streets for months . For almost eight years , he has been battling what many see as the government 's indifference to the plight of refugees . Frustrated by his own struggle against Hong Kong 's immigration system after fleeing Afghanistan , he has become a champion for the rights of some of the city 's most vulnerable inhabitants . When he was just five years old Rahman fled with his family to Iran after one of his brothers was shot dead during the country 's civil war . He worked as an engineer and made enough money to help support his parents , along with his four sisters and three brothers . But he was n't safe in Iran either , for reasons he wo n't disclose for fear of putting his family in danger . `` The government wanted me dead , '' he said . If he returns , he believes he will be incarcerated , tortured , or worse . In 2011 , after more than three years in Hong Kong , the United Nations recognized Rahman as a refugee . Since then he has been waiting for the organization to find a third country that will take him in . Thousands living in limbo . Around 6,000 people are currently seeking asylum in Hong Kong according to the territory 's Immigration Department . Refugees can not work legally , which makes them dependent on the city 's welfare system . The lucky few whose claims are successful are resettled to another country . As Rahman can attest it is an agonizing process that can take years . `` As long as you do n't have a right to work , you do n't have anything to live on , '' says Rahman . `` You do n't have any future . You ca n't build your family 's future , your kids ' future . '' Authorities provide food parcels three times a month and a rental allowance , but some asylum seekers say the assistance is not enough to cover even their most basic needs . Strength in unity . In January this year , Rahman and several dozen others like him founded the Refugee Union . The group advocates for the rights of asylum seekers , gives advice and legal assistance and helps people find accommodation . `` We created the Refugee Union to fight ... against the system with more power , '' he said . `` We have to fight together , because whatever I fight , another refugee is fighting for the same thing -- they suffer from the same thing . '' In recent months , the group has held peaceful demonstrations in the heart of Hong Kong 's business district to raise awareness of their concerns and put pressure on authorities . `` Most of the refugees are afraid to complain , because they think if they complain , immigration will process their application faster and will reject them , ( or ) will cut their welfare allowance , '' Rahman said . Since Refugee Union began its campaign , the government has increased asylum seekers ' food and rent allowance , and given them additional funds for transportation , electricity and water . Rahman says that the total assistance they receive still falls below the city 's poverty line . `` The Refugee Union completely changed the asylum arena by coordinating individual protests into group action , '' says Cosmo Beatson , executive director of Vision First , an NGO that is giving the group advice and logistical support . `` The goal is to empower refugees to speak up for themselves , support each other in solidarity and advocate for the changes that they desperately need because obviously collective bargaining beats solo endeavors . '' Improving lives . In Hong Kong , Rahman lives with his wife in a cramped , one-room apartment that costs HK $ 2,800 ( $ 360 ) per month . She earns HK $ 4,000 ( $ 520 ) a month working as a domestic helper for a local family , but sends a large portion of her income back to her family in the Philippines . Every day , Rahman reads a sign that his wife has placed near their bed : `` Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass , but about learning how to dance in the rain . '' He hopes one day to leave Hong Kong and start a new life . Until then , he is determined to help reform the city 's welfare system so that other asylum seekers are n't forced to live `` like beggars . '' `` Even though I can not do work ... it is better for me to give my time for them , to help them to improve their situation in Hong Kong , '' he said . CNN 's Michala Sabnani and CNNMoney 's Charles Riley contributed to this report .
Abdul Rahman fled Afghanistan as a child . He came to Hong Kong to seek asylum in 2007 . He helped other asylum seekers in the region to understand their rights and have a future . Quality of living in Hong Kong is high ; asylum applicants , who ca n't work legally , often live in poverty .