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Following is a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Lai Tung-kwok, to a question by the Hon Wong Yuk-man in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
Question:
It has been reported that on January 22, 2014, a Vietnamese street sleeper was suspected to have been frozen to death under a flyover beside Tung Chau Street. It has also been reported that at present, more than 20 Vietnamese boat people/refugees (boat people/refugees) are street sleeping there. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the current number of boat people/refugees in Hong Kong, and, among them, the number of those who have obtained Hong Kong permanent resident status;
(2) whether any application by boat people/refugees for settlement in Hong Kong has been refused; if so, of the reasons for that and the number of people involved; and
(3) given that the boat people/refugees who have not obtained Hong Kong permanent resident status are ineligible to apply for social welfare in Hong Kong in accordance with normal procedures, how the Government helps them overcome the difficulties in their livelihood?
Reply:
President,
In January 1998, the HKSAR Government ended the "port of first asylum policy" for Vietnamese people arriving illegally in Hong Kong. Subsequently, the HKSAR Government implemented the "Widened Local Resettlement Scheme" (the Scheme) in February 2000 for Vietnamese Refugees (VRs) and eligible Vietnamese Migrants (VMs) (1 424 persons in total) to apply for settlement in Hong Kong. Applicants would become Hong Kong residents once their applications are approved. After fulfilling relevant legal requirements, they may apply to the Immigration Department for Verification of Eligibility for Permanent Identity Card in accordance with the relevant provisions under the Basic Law and the Immigration Ordinance (Cap.115).
My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) and (2) As at end January 2014, 1 400 VRs and eligible VMs applied for settlement in Hong Kong under the Scheme; all applications were approved. The Administration does not maintain statistics on the number of VRs and VMs who have been verified as eligible for permanent identity card, upon application.
(3) VRs and eligible VMs whose application for settlement in Hong Kong has been approved under the Scheme are Hong Kong residents. Just like other Hong Kong residents, they can approach service units of the Social Welfare Department if they are facing difficulties and are in need of assistance. Service units will provide them with emergency assistance, including food, temporary accommodation and daily necessities if they are in need.
Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Issued at HKT 13:12
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