Data request about the handling time of non-refoulement claims

Paulus Choy made this Freedom of Information request to Immigration Department

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

Immigration Department did not have the information requested.

Dear Immigration Department,

I would like to request for statistics on the handling time for non-refoulement claimants in Hong Kong, in the following stages of the USM as of 1/8/2018.

1. Ongoing claims that have returned the claim form with evidence and have not yet attended the first screening interview, as of 1/8/2018:
- Longest duration for a claim to be in the above phase
- Number of claims in the above phase
a. For 5 years or more
b. For 2 years or more
c. For one year or less

2. Determined claims in 2018, as of 1/8/2018 (excluding appeals and judicial reviews):
- Longest duration for determined claim to be in the immigration system
- Number of determined claims that were in the immigration system
a. For 5 years or more
b. For 2 years or more
c. For one year or less

Thank you for your attention on the matter, 



Yours faithfully,

Paulus Choy
Research and advocacy volunteer
Justice Centre Hong Kong

Immigration Department

Our ref. : L/M in ImmD RALOS/6-20/3/C

Dear Mr Choy,

Thank you for your email dd 15 August 2018.  Regarding the matters raised
therein, we would revert to you in due course.

Best Regards,

(FUNG Man-him)
for Director of Immigration

To learn more about the application requirements and procedures of the
most frequently used services provided by the Hong Kong Immigration
Department, you are welcome to visit the Easy Access Playlist at Hong Kong
Immigration Department [1]YouTube Channel. The concerned video clips have
Cantonese voice-over supplemented by Chinese or English subtitles.

Immigration Department

Our reference: L/M in ImmD RALOS/6-20/3/C

 

Dear Mr Choy,

 

We refer to your application for access to information of 15 August 2018
and our interim reply on 16 August 2018.  We need more time to handle your
request and we shall revert to you soon.

 

Best Regards,

 

(FUNG Man-him)

for Director of Immigration

To learn more about the application requirements and procedures of the
most frequently used services provided by the Hong Kong Immigration
Department, you are welcome to visit the Easy Access Playlist at Hong Kong
Immigration Department [1]YouTube Channel. The concerned video clips have
Cantonese voice-over supplemented by Chinese or English subtitles.

Immigration Department

Our reference : L/M (38) in ImmD RALOS/6-20/3/C

 

Dear Mr Choy,

 

I refer to your email dated 15 August 2018 requesting for information
relating to non-refoulement claims and our acknowledgement dated 16 August
2018.

 

The Immigration Department (“ImmD”) ensures high efficiency of the
screening procedures by flexible staff deployment and optimized workflow. 
The screening time per claim (from commencement of the screening process
to determination by ImmD) has been expedited from about 25 weeks on
average at the early implementation of the Unified Screening Mechanism
(“USM”) to the current average of about 10 weeks.

 

Under the current arrangement, claimants are given 49 days (i.e. 7 weeks)
to return their claim forms. Most screening interviews are conducted in
about 2 weeks upon the return of claim form and ImmD can, on average,
determine a claim in about one week after the screening interview(s).  The
Immigration Department does not maintain other breakdown statistics
mentioned in the enquiry.

 

We hope you will find the above information useful.

 

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

( FUNG Man-him )

for Director of Immigration

To learn more about the application requirements and procedures of the
most frequently used services provided by the Hong Kong Immigration
Department, you are welcome to visit the Easy Access Playlist at Hong Kong
Immigration Department [1]YouTube Channel. The concerned video clips have
Cantonese voice-over supplemented by Chinese or English subtitles.