The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) has been acting in strict accordance with the law and with the international practice in handling all right of abode (ROA)-seeking cases, a HKSARG spokesman said Sunday.
The spokesman pointed out that immigration control was imposed by governments all over the world, including U.N. members. Hong Kong's approach in this respect was unexceptionable.
He noted that whilst the wish for family reunion is to be respected, it is not an absolute right.
The Director of Immigration may exercise his discretion in respect of individual cases with exceptional humanitarian/compassionate considerations, the spokesman said. If such discretionary power was exercised in each and every case, it would be unfair to those who had applied in accordance with the lawful procedures and had been waiting patiently in the queue, the spokesman stressed.
The spokesman said the HKSARG prepared reports to the U.N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at appropriate intervals to facilitate its consideration of the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Hong Kong.
(Xinhua News Agency, May 5, 2002)
