China - Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region): Hong Kong s regressive legislative amendments risk undermining protection for refugees and asylum seekers humanitariannews.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from humanitariannews.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
(Bangkok, 16 December 2020) – The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) is concerned that the Hong Kong Government’s[1] proposals to amend the Immigration Ordinance contravene international standards and undermine the fairness of Hong Kong’s refugee screening mechanism. The Hong Kong Legislative Council must establish a Bills Committee at the Council Meeting this Wednesday (16 December) to scrutinise these proposals in detail and ensure that any amendments to the Immigration Ordinance respect, protect, and fulfil Hong Kong’s international human rights obligations, including the core principle of non-refoulement.
While Hong Kong is not a party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, it is party to human rights treaties including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Human rights protections under these treaties are enshrined in the Basic Law and the Hong