By The SUN
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| Immigration agents escort the failed torture claimants onto the plane that took them home |
In another sign that
the Hong Kong government is toughening its stance towards non-visa holders who
oppose being sent back home, 24 so-called “unsubstantiated non refoulement
claimants” have been sent to their places of origin earlier this week.
A statement from the
Immigration Department said 16 men and eight women were repatriated to their
home countries between Oct 10 and 13.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
Among them were sentenced
offenders who had been discharged from jail after serving their sentences,
overstayers, illegal immigrants and those refused permission to land.
Immigration said it
will speed up the repatriation of non-refoulement claimants who have no valid
reasons for opposing being sent back to their country of origin.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
Its statement said it has
“all along been committed to removing unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants
from Hong Kong as soon
as practicable so as to maintain effective immigration control and safeguard
the public interest.”
However,
the repatriation process is said to have been hindered by various factors,
including pending applications for judicial review by a big number of the
applicants, apart from the limited flights and travel restrictions due to the
pandemic.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
Immigration
said it will continue to speed up the removal process and maintain close
liaisons with governments of major source countries of the claimants (the
Philippines included), airline companies and other government departments to carry
out the repatriations as soon as practicable through all appropriate measures.
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This is
the second time in a month that a mass repatriation of non-refoulement
claimants has been carried out.
Immigration
also sent home a total of 45 claimants from Sept 13 to 20 this year, comprising
33 males and 12 females.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
They
included a 73-year-old man convicted of using false instrument who attempted to
claim non refoulement after completing his prison sentence in December last
year.
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