KNIGHT & Ho
SOLICITORS
3
If the Vietnamese Government was aware of and approved and perhaps participated in the Immigration Department investigation being carried out on Vietnamese soil by officials of a foreign Government, does it not imply a state of co-operation between the Vietnamese and Hong Kong/British Governments which is inconsistent with the notion of claims to asylum being made for fear of persecution in Vietnam?
of
Such conduct would be out of line with the general rule of practice in British foreign relations, that one does not collaborate with the Government in question regarding asylum claims by its
This matter also requires
nationals.
clarification.
As regards b)
procedural propriety by what authority does the Hong Kong Immigration Department conduct overseas investigations in pursuit of claims to asylum made in Hong Kong?
As regards c) the treatment of asylum claims, it raises the following questions:
i) Is it a general practice to carry out "home-visit- evidence-in-support" investigations before the Director of Immigration makes his decision?
ii) Is the Vietnamese asylum seeker advised that а home visit is being proposed?
iii) Are the Vietnamese authorities advised of the "home visit" before it takes place?
iv)
Are "home visit" investigations request of the Refugee Status Review Board?
performed at the
v) Are asylum seekers given a
copy of the results of the "home visit" investigations, to comment upon before the decision makers make their decisions?
vi) What happens to reports that confirm the accuracy of the asylum seekers' testimony?