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In response to the petition by an organisation today (December 24) requesting the Government to provide assistance to Mainland-Hong Kong single-parent families in applying for One Way Permits, a spokesman for the Security Bureau said that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) had been providing assistance to Mainland-Hong Kong single-parent families and helped convey to the Mainland authorities the requests of some special individual cases, which had received positive responses from the Mainland authorities.
The spokesman reiterated that the application, approval and issuance of One Way Permits fell within the remit of the Mainland authorities. Under the policy objective of family reunion, the Mainland authorities have set out open and transparent approval criteria. Mainland residents who meet the eligibility criteria laid down by the Mainland authorities may apply to come to settle in Hong Kong.
The spokesman said that the HKSAR Government had all along been reflecting to the Mainland the views of various sectors. For individual cases with special family difficulties (including Mainland single mothers of minor children in Hong Kong whose husbands passed away or with other special difficulties), the Immigration Department would reflect such cases to the Mainland authorities having regard to the requests of the applicants and circumstances of the cases. The Mainland authorities had responded positively by exercising discretion and issuing One Way Permit or one-year multiple endorsement for visiting relatives to some of these applicants.
Ends/Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:40
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