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| Immigration officers escort deportees to vans that took them to the airport |
The Immigration Department (ImmD) has deported 25 overstayers, all of them former foreign domestic helpers, in a strong signal that it is serious in ending the abuse of the non-refoulement claim mechanism.
Although the ImmD announcement did not specify the countries
of origin to which the deportees were sent, at least some of them are Filipinos
whose non-refoulement claims were unsubstantiated and rejected.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
Among them were discharged prisoners who had committed
criminal offences and had been sentenced to imprisonment.
ImmD said it carried out the repatriation operations on
August 13 and 14.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
“The ImmD is very concerned about the abuse of the
non-refoulement claim mechanism and is aware that a number of claimants were
former foreign domestic helpers,” it said.
The agency said it has been cooperating with the relevant
consulates-general in Hong Kong and will continue such co-operation to step up
publicity and education for newly arriving foreign domestic helpers to help
them understand that they should not abuse the non-refoulement claim mechanism.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
The mechanism has been used by claimants claiming fear of persecution,
torture, or other serious harm in their home countries, to avoid being deported
while their claims are assessed and even appealed in the High Court.
During their extended stay in Hong Kong, the claimants
receive allowances for food and shelter from the International Social Service
Hong Kong Branch (ISS-HK), but most represent themselves in court for the hearing of their cases.
