Welfare Support for Non-Refoulement Claimants

Isaac Shaffer made this Freedom of Information request to Social Welfare Department

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

The request was partially successful.

Dear Social Welfare Department,

This request relates to the provision of Social Welfare Support/Assistance provided to those who are seeking/have been granted Non-refoulement Protection in HK.

Please could you accordingly provide the following information:

1. For those who have their Non-refoulement Claims substantiated (but who have not yet/at the relevant time been granted the right to work) (“Substantiated NRC”), please provide the following:

(a) The no. of applications from/on behalf of NRC’s (non-refoulement claimants) to receive more than the standard social welfare provision allocated for rental allowance and the percentage it accounted for among the total Substantiated NRCs for each quarter from 2014 to 2019 (the “Relevant Period”);

(b) Of those at (a), the number of which requests related to: (i) physical health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(c) No. of all such applications refused/accepted during the Relevant Period;

(d) Of those at (c), the number of which requests related to: (i) physical health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(e) the average time taken (in working days) to process the applications during the Relevant Period;

(f) No. of independent medical evaluations conducted to establish relevant accommodation/living needs of relevant individuals during the Relevant Period

2. For those still otherwise awaiting a “final” decision in relation to the Non-reofoulement/ USM Claim (i.e. they have registered a claim but it has not yet been concluded - whether at first instance, appeal or Judicial Review) (“Unsubstantiated NRC”);

(g) The no. of applications from/on behalf of NRC’s (non-refoulement claimants) to receive more than the standard social welfare provision allocated for rental allowance and the percentage it accounted for among the total Unsubstantiated NRCs during the Relevant Period;

(h) Of those at (a), the number of which requests related to: (i) physical health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(i) No. of all such applications refused/accepted during the Relevant Period;

(j) Of those at (c), the number of which requests related to (i) physical health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(k) the average timescales required to process the applications during the Relevant Period;

(l) No. of independent medical evaluations conducted to establish relevant accommodation/living needs of relevant individuals during the Relevant Period;

(m) No. of times SWD/ISS otherwise (i.e. of its motion) increased SW provision to address the specific needs of individuals from 2014 to 2019.

Please break this down to provide separate numbers for provisions that related to counseling, food, accommodation and utilities, transportation allowance, clothing and toiletries, etc

Yours faithfully,

Isaac Shaffer

Social Welfare Department

Dear Isaac Shaffer,

 

Code on Access to Information - Application No. 53/2020

 

Our department has received your request for access to information on 7
April 2020.  Your application is now under processing.  According to
paragraph 1.16 of the Code on Access to Information, our department will
inform you of the latest progress of the case separately on or before 27
April 2020.  In the meantime, please contact me at 2892 5642 if you have
any enquiry.

 

 

 

Regards,

Ms Winnie HUNG

for Director of Social Welfare

 

-----Isaac Shaffer <[FOI #464 email]> 撰寫:-----
收件人: FOI requests at Social Welfare Department <[Social Welfare Department request email]>
寄件人: Isaac Shaffer <[FOI #464 email]>
日期: 04/07/2020 03:26下午
主旨: Freedom of Information request - Welfare Support for Non-Refoulement
Claimants

Dear Social Welfare Department,

This request relates to the provision of Social Welfare Support/Assistance
provided to those who are seeking/have been granted Non-refoulement
Protection in HK.

Please could you accordingly provide the following information:

1. For those who have their Non-refoulement Claims substantiated (but who
have not yet/at the relevant time been granted the right to work)
(“Substantiated NRC”), please provide the following:

(a) The no. of applications from/on behalf of NRC’s (non-refoulement
claimants) to receive more than the standard social welfare provision
allocated for rental allowance and the percentage it accounted for among
the total Substantiated NRCs for each quarter from 2014 to 2019 (the
“Relevant Period”);

(b) Of those at (a), the number of which requests related to: (i) physical
health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(c)   No. of all such applications refused/accepted during the Relevant
Period;

(d) Of those at (c), the number of which requests related to: (i) physical
health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(e)   the average time taken (in working days) to process the applications
during the Relevant Period;

(f)  No. of independent medical evaluations conducted to establish
relevant accommodation/living needs of relevant individuals during the
Relevant Period

2. For those still otherwise awaiting a “final” decision in relation to
the Non-reofoulement/ USM Claim (i.e. they have registered a claim but it
has not yet been concluded - whether at first instance, appeal or Judicial
Review) (“Unsubstantiated NRC”);

(g) The no. of applications from/on behalf of NRC’s (non-refoulement
claimants) to receive more than the standard social welfare provision
allocated for rental allowance and the percentage it accounted for among
the total Unsubstantiated NRCs during the Relevant Period;

(h) Of those at (a), the number of which requests related to: (i) physical
health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(i)   No. of all such applications refused/accepted during the Relevant
Period;

(j) Of those at (c), the number of which requests related to (i) physical
health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(k)   the average timescales required to process the applications during
the Relevant Period;

(l)   No. of independent medical evaluations conducted to establish
relevant accommodation/living needs of relevant individuals during the
Relevant Period;

(m) No. of times SWD/ISS otherwise (i.e. of its motion) increased SW
provision to address the specific needs of individuals from 2014 to 2019.

Please break this down to provide separate numbers for provisions that
related to  counseling, food, accommodation and utilities, transportation
allowance, clothing and toiletries, etc

Yours faithfully,

Isaac Shaffer

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
the accessinfo.hk website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #464 email]

Is [Social Welfare Department request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Social Welfare Department? If so, please contact us using this
form:
[1]https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...

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Social Welfare Department

Dear Isaac Shaffer,

 

Code on Access to Information - Application No. 53/2020

 

I refer to your email dated 7 April 2020, enquiring the information in
relation to the provision of social welfare support/assistance provided to
those who are seeking/have been granted Non-refoulement Protection in Hong
Kong.  Subsequent to our interim reply to you on 9 April 2020, please find
our reply below.

 

2.           Since 2006, on humanitarian grounds, the Government has been
engaging non-governmental organisation, depending on the circumstances of
individual cases, to provide humanitarian assistance to non-refoulement
claimants who are deprived of basic needs during their presence in Hong
Kong so that they will not become destitute.  As regards the request for
information under items (a) to (m) in your email, please be informed that
the Social Welfare Department does not have any breakdown on the eligible
service users by stages of their non-refoulement claims being processed.

 

3.           Thank you.

  

Regards,

Ms Winnie HUNG

for Director of Social Welfare

----- 轉寄人 Enquiry DAIO/SWDNET/SWD/HKSARG 時間 04/20/2020 05:12下午
-----
收件人: Isaac Shaffer <[FOI #464 email]>
寄件人: Enquiry DAIO/SWDNET/SWD/HKSARG
日期: 04/09/2020 06:03下午
主旨: Code on Access to Information - Application No. 53/2020

Dear Isaac Shaffer,

 

Code on Access to Information - Application No. 53/2020

 

Our department has received your request for access to information on 7
April 2020.  Your application is now under processing.  According to
paragraph 1.16 of the Code on Access to Information, our department will
inform you of the latest progress of the case separately on or before 27
April 2020.  In the meantime, please contact me at 2892 5642 if you have
any enquiry.

 

 

 

Regards,

Ms Winnie HUNG

for Director of Social Welfare

 

-----Isaac Shaffer <[FOI #464 email]> 撰寫:-----
收件人: FOI requests at Social Welfare Department <[Social Welfare Department request email]>
寄件人: Isaac Shaffer <[FOI #464 email]>
日期: 04/07/2020 03:26下午
主旨: Freedom of Information request - Welfare Support for Non-Refoulement
Claimants

Dear Social Welfare Department,

This request relates to the provision of Social Welfare Support/Assistance
provided to those who are seeking/have been granted Non-refoulement
Protection in HK.

Please could you accordingly provide the following information:

1. For those who have their Non-refoulement Claims substantiated (but who
have not yet/at the relevant time been granted the right to work)
(“Substantiated NRC”), please provide the following:

(a) The no. of applications from/on behalf of NRC’s (non-refoulement
claimants) to receive more than the standard social welfare provision
allocated for rental allowance and the percentage it accounted for among
the total Substantiated NRCs for each quarter from 2014 to 2019 (the
“Relevant Period”);

(b) Of those at (a), the number of which requests related to: (i) physical
health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(c)   No. of all such applications refused/accepted during the Relevant
Period;

(d) Of those at (c), the number of which requests related to: (i) physical
health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(e)   the average time taken (in working days) to process the applications
during the Relevant Period;

(f)  No. of independent medical evaluations conducted to establish
relevant accommodation/living needs of relevant individuals during the
Relevant Period

2. For those still otherwise awaiting a “final” decision in relation to
the Non-reofoulement/ USM Claim (i.e. they have registered a claim but it
has not yet been concluded - whether at first instance, appeal or Judicial
Review) (“Unsubstantiated NRC”);

(g) The no. of applications from/on behalf of NRC’s (non-refoulement
claimants) to receive more than the standard social welfare provision
allocated for rental allowance and the percentage it accounted for among
the total Unsubstantiated NRCs during the Relevant Period;

(h) Of those at (a), the number of which requests related to: (i) physical
health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(i)   No. of all such applications refused/accepted during the Relevant
Period;

(j) Of those at (c), the number of which requests related to (i) physical
health needs; and/or (ii) mental health needs during the Relevant Period;

(k)   the average timescales required to process the applications during
the Relevant Period;

(l)   No. of independent medical evaluations conducted to establish
relevant accommodation/living needs of relevant individuals during the
Relevant Period;

(m) No. of times SWD/ISS otherwise (i.e. of its motion) increased SW
provision to address the specific needs of individuals from 2014 to 2019.

Please break this down to provide separate numbers for provisions that
related to  counseling, food, accommodation and utilities, transportation
allowance, clothing and toiletries, etc

Yours faithfully,

Isaac Shaffer

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
the accessinfo.hk website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #464 email]

Is [Social Welfare Department request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Social Welfare Department? If so, please contact us using this
form:
[1]https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[2]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...
2. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers