Detainees in Castle Peak Bay Center went on a hunger strike for more than 60 days and wrote an open letter emphasizing that they did not require the right of abode

District 18 News

Written by: Lu Nuojun

2020-09-03 16:21

Last update date: 2020-09-03 16:21

More than 20 detainees at the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Services Center (CIC) were dissatisfied with the prescription for too long a detention period. Since June 29 this year, they initiated a hunger strike and it has been more than 60 days.

According to their recent open letter, they only rely on water and milk tea for their livelihood. Two people even refuse to drink water and milk tea. They are in serious condition and are being hospitalized. They also pointed out that hunger strike is the only way to fight, and they are not asking for residency. They only hope to end their indefinite detention so that they can have a fair chance to defend themselves in court.

According to the CIC Concern Group, 11 people are still on hunger strike.

The Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre (CIC), located in Coffee Bay, Tuen Mun, is used as a detention center for people who have overstayed, reviewing them, arranging relevant legal documents, and supplementing travel document procedures , Deportation and deportation.

The center was put into operation in May 2005 and was transferred to the Immigration Department from the Correctional Services Department in 2010. The current detainees include illegal immigrants, illegal workers, overstayers, non-refoulement petitions, and those awaiting repatriation.

Some have alleged that some of them have been detained for too long and received inhumane treatment in the center.

In early March of this year, Legislative Council Member Shao Jiazhen, Zhang Chaoxiong and Zhu Kaidi, inspected the Qingshan Bay Immigration Center and found that there was no water machine in the detention center, only a half-foot-high blue bucket, which was used for drinking.

In protest against the indefinite detention of the Immigration Department, on June 29 this year, more than 20 detainees began a hunger strike.

They wrote in an open letter issued on August 24 that they believed that the Immigration Department deprived them of a fair trial. Although they promised to "regularly review" the bail conditions every time they refused bail, some of them were already in the center. He has been detained for two years, and now everyone has filed a judicial review with the High Court.

The letter also stated that since June, they have only used water and milk tea for their livelihoods, and have not eaten "food from other sources" as prescribed by the prescription. Everyone has lost 15 to 20 kilograms of weight.

The detainees on hunger strike emphasized in the letter that they are not asking for the right of abode. Their only appeal is to hope that the Immigration Department will grant bail, end the indefinite detention, and allow us to have a fair chance to defend ourselves in court. Their only and only way to fight.

According to the CIC Concern Group today, 11 people are still on hunger strike.

According to an earlier reply from the Immigration Department, when exercising the statutory power of detention in each case, the prescription will be determined strictly in accordance with the relevant detention policy, fully considering all the circumstances related to each case.

Detainees can also appeal through judicial procedures to allow the court to rule on the legality of their detention decisions. It also refers to individual detainees who have absconded or committed serious crimes in Hong Kong, but allege that the current detention decision made in accordance with legal procedures is " "Indefinite detention" or "violation of human rights" are inconsistent with facts and actual conditions. It is emphasized that each detention case will be reviewed in a timely manner in accordance with the current detention policy.

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18 District Press and Immigration Department