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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 23, 2001

HK SAR Government: No Asylum for Anyone

The HK SAR Government provides no asylum for anyone, said a spokesperson for the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR) Wednesday when answering the media's question on a long Chinese report about refugees' seeking for political asylum in Hong Kong. The 1951 UN Convention on the position of refugees is not applicable to Hong Kong, he said.


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The HK SAR Government provides no asylum for anyone, the spokesperson said.

Clear-cut Stand of HK SAR Government

Although Hong Kong was once the first refugee harbor for Vietnam boatmen, the spokesperson noted, the Hong Kong SAR government policy has always been clear-cut, that is, it will not provide asylum for anyone. Moreover, the policy of making Hong Kong the first refugee harbor for Vietnam boatmen had been abolished since January 9, 1998, the spokesperson said.

UNHCR Service Available in Hong Kong

Any visitor to Hong Kong, wishing to apply for shelter during his or her stay in the region, may contact UNHCR's office in Hong Kong (UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). The office will handle their applications. Since the Hong Kong SAR government is not a member of the 1951 UN Convention, it is totally not involved in the handling procedures, he said.

The spokesperson pointed out that anyone applies for asylum at the UNHCR will not be granted the right to stay in Hong Kong.

According to HK's present policy, a traveler will be permitted to stay here if he is accepted by entry staff for a correct purpose and proved to be really necessary to stay as a tourist. Visitors shall leave Hong Kong upon the expiration of the valid period of their stay in HK. If they refuse to leave, the authorities will repatriate them to where they come from in accordance with consistent procedures, he said.

Rising Trend of Cases of Individuals Noticed

The spokesperson said that the Hong Kong SAR government has been maintaining close contacts with the UNHCR. It has noticed the recent rising trend of cases of individuals' applying to the UNHCR for shelter during their stay in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong SAR government is paying close attention to this rising tendency and has made necessary arrangements to ensure that none of them is able to side step the present policy of visitors' staying in Hong Kong, the spokesperson added. So far, there is no sign of large numbers of refugees pouring into Hong Kong from other places, he said.



UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

 UNHCR was established on December 14, 1950 by the U.N. General assembly and began its work on January 1, the following year. The agency helps the world's uprooted peoples by providing them with basic necessities such as shelter, food, water and medicine in emergencies and seeking long term solutions, including voluntary return to their homes or beginning afresh in new countries.

In more than five decades, the agency has helped an estimated 50 million people restart their lives. Today, a staff of around 5,000 people in more than 120 countries continues to help an estimated 22 million people.




By PD Online staff member Du Minghua
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