S for S inspects Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre and Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development (with photos)

The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, inspected the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre (CIC) and Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development (ISITD) today (October 28) to learn more about their facilities and operation.

     Mr Tang, accompanied by the Director of Immigration, Mr Au Ka-wang, was briefed on the operation and management of the CIC by the centre's personnel. Mr Tang then inspected various facilities in the CIC, including the dayrooms, dormitories, special units, exercise yard and sick bay. He also met and exchanged views with the centre's personnel to know more about their work, as well as the difficulties and challenges they face under a heavy workload.

     The CIC is one of the detention facilities of the Immigration Department (ImmD), and has a maximum capacity of 500 detainees. The detainees at the CIC are illegal immigrants, overstayers, or persons refused permission to land in Hong Kong. They are pending removal. Among them, some are non-refoulement claimants. Under the law and prevailing detention policy, the ImmD will consider all the facts and circumstances of any particular case, including whether the person concerned has committed a serious crime and whether there is any risk of the person absconding or reoffending. Regular and timely reviews of each case will also be conducted to determine whether an individual should be further detained.

     Mr Tang then visited the ISITD to learn about its organisation, training programmes and facilities. He also inspected "National Education" and "Immigration Control and Passenger Clearance" classes to gain a deeper understanding of the training provided by the ImmD. Mr Tang said that national education is conducive to trainees' understanding of national development and helps engender a sense of national identity, which nurtures them into law enforcement officers with a sense of belonging to the country, an affection for Hong Kong and an international perspective.

     Mr Tang took the opportunity to express gratitude to ImmD personnel for upholding the values of "integrity and impartiality" by performing various duties even-handedly and serving the community with dedication and professionalism all along.