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#HongKong proposes significant amendments to the Immigration Ordinance relating to its refugee/protection screening mechanism. Given it's already dysfunctional (with one of the lowest refugee acceptance rates in the world (below 1%)), what galaxy-brained changes are in mind?
Despite minimal judicial oversight of immigration detention, & repeated & consistent reports of shocking abuse of detainees (e.g. https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1076597 ); ( https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1565171-20201214.htm) - a proposal to *arm* immigration officers & expand powers of detention seems a little out there.
As the #HK Bar Association puts it: (their full submission is published here: https://www.hkba.org/sites/default/files/Immigration%20(Amendment)%20Bill%202020_0.pdf ).
Another proposal: allowing Immigration to mandate the language you can speak/participate in, during the refugee screening process. How on earth can an Officer expect to know this you may well ask? Why, and when has anyone ever lied about this? Is this really even a problem?
Sadly - only those with galaxy-sized brains can answer. For us mere mortals it just looks like an entirely illogical proposal, aimed at a non-existent problem, which risks fundamental procedural unfairness, & is highly likely to be found discriminatory and unconstitutional.
Further details on the proposed amendments and Civil Societies concerns here: https://www.justicecentre.org.hk/concerns-over-the-proposed-amendments-to-the-immigration-ordinance/ and here: https://www.justicecentre.org.hk/justice-centre-on-i-cables-talk-the-walk/
The Refugee Concern Network's detailed submission to the Legislative Council in response to the proposals available here: https://www.justicecentre.org.hk/report/submissions-to-the-legcos-bills-committee-on-immigration-amendment-bill-2020/
