The Hong Kong government set up camps, similar to the one pictured, to house the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees who flooded into Hong Kong in the 1970s and '80s following the end of the Vietnam War. File photo: AFP
The Chief Executive, CY Leung, has confirmed that the government will review how Hong Kong handles asylum seekers, including whether it should withdraw from the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
He said a review of the immigration ordinance was also needed as abuse of its provisions by some people is putting a lot of strain on the administrative resources.
Leung made the comment in response to a caller to an RTHK phone-in programme, who questioned him over rumours she said she had heard about the government considering reintroducing camps on outlying islands and country parks to hold asylum seekers.
Leung told the caller he has not heard of any moves for setting up such camps.
The Immigration Department said recently that there has been a jump in the number of people arriving in Hong Kong and seeking legal protection under the non-refoulement convention of the United Nations.
Under the pact, those who file non-refoulement claims cannot be sent back to their home countries where they might face the threat of torture or death.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1235992-20160115.htm
