HK Government to Help New Arrivals Settle DownThe Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is constantly monitoring the needs of new arrivals and is pushing ahead with a 2.12 million HK dollars (US$283,333) community education program aimed at helping them integrate into the society, an official said Monday.Shelley Lee, Hong Kong's Director of Home Affairs, on Monday visited the Lo Wu Control Point where she was briefed on the services provided there for new arrivals by the Immigration Department and the International Social Service. Speaking after visiting the control point, Lee said that the government offers the new arrivals assistance literally from the moment they step across the border. "We ensure that they have at their fingertips all the necessary contacts to call in case of need, be it relating to housing, medical care, school for their children or the myriad aspects of life in Hong Kong," she said. More than 40 district-based community involvement activities, including drawing, and writing competitions, youth camps, talent show, and various training course, will be organized from February 2001 to January 2002 in the 18 districts, Lee said. Considering the fact that a large proportion of the new arrivals are young mothers, practical training courses will be provided for them to equip them with the basic skills to compete in the job market, such as computer and English language courses. Lee said 1 million (US$128,205) has been allocated to finance these activities, and the government will consider increasing the funding if more activities are called for. |
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