As more illegal immigrants enter Hong Kong, spotlight shines again on asylum seekers: do they have valid refugee claims?
- Asylum seekers from as far away as Pakistan and East Africa head to mainland China, where they cross illegally into Hong Kong, sometimes in treacherous conditions
- Critics question validity of claims and efficiency of processes, with about 14,700 asylum seekers waiting to hear from city’s unified screening mechanism or appeal system
Mohammad Taqi prayed for his life as a tropical storm battered the small boat ferrying him and 10 other men across the sea from mainland China into Hong Kong.
They were all illegal arrivals from Pakistan, hoping to pursue asylum claims in the city to evade alleged security threats back home.
“We were stuck at sea for about three hours,” Taqi, 38, recalled. “The guy steering the boat – a young man from the mainland – said the storm might mean fewer police patrolling the seas.”
It was about 2am when they arrived at Tung Chung, on Lantau Island.
“When we got off, the guy driving the boat just pointed and said, ‘Go that way,’” Taqi said.
As the craft sped away, the 11 men, aged between 20 and 30, began trekking through the countryside in the storm and after several hours found themselves in a residential area. Police swooped in on them and when arrested, all admitted they had just entered Hong Kong illegally.
