Nobody Will Crush Our Spirit, Immigration Dept Warns

The Immigration Department on Friday issued a statement condemning an "individual media organisation" – believed to be RTHK – and warning that nobody could ever undermine the morale and spirit of its staff.

The department appeared to take issue with a December 14 episode of RTHK's Chinese-language Hong Kong Connection programme which reported how some detainees at the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre had complained of being stripped naked and given a nappy to wear, before being left in a small room for up to 24 hours at a time.

The statement explained that these small rooms, with no toilets, are used to hold detainees deemed to be emotionally unstable, prone to self-harm, or at risk of being violent, so that they can be placed under medical observation.

As well as insisting it ensures that detainees are treated fairly and properly, the department railed against what it said were repeated "groundless and unjust accusations" against its staff.

It said claims that detainees have been subjected to verbal and physical abuse "have no regard to the objective facts that some of the detainees had abused the screening procedures of non-refoulement claims in a bid to remain in Hong Kong illegally, or even repeatedly committed serious crimes in Hong Kong, and may pose serious security risks to the community if they were released."

The department said its staff are "working as one to serve the public by standing fast at their posts at all times... in spite of the pressure from different parties and the occurrence of unexpected incidents, such as provocation and insults by detainees".

"The entire staff will remain united in performing arduous duties professionally, and their long-held team spirit and professionalism will never be undermined due to external pressure and morale will not be weakened either," it added.