HK migrants in new legal bid

Many queued to apply for legal aid for their fight

More than 80 mainland Chinese facing imminent deportation by the Hong Kong authorities have launched new legal action in an effort to stay with their families in the territory, according to their lawyer.

I'll kill myself if they forcibly repatriate me Wong Mei-yin
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Hundreds of others filled in applications for legal aid in a fresh bid to stay.

Some 4,300 people, many of whom have family members with residency right in Hong Kong, face forcible repatriation after a deadline for them to return voluntarily to China expired.

Hong Kong has already deported four right-of-abode seekers who surrendered voluntarily to the authorities. They may now face punishment in China for overstaying their visas.

One woman leaving for China said: "I couldn't go back earlier, I was sick. How can I pay a fine? I have no money, I'll just go to jail".

Hong Kong's immigration department said on Tuesday that those involved in legal proceedings would be allowed to remain in the territory temporarily.

But a government spokesman warned on Wednesday that this would only apply to those whose legal cases are under way or pending, and abode seekers who had launched fresh legal action could be deported immediately.

Suing the government

On Wednesday, mainlanders queued up in a central park before dawn to fill in applications for legal aid.

They hope the legal cases will stall their deportation

One writ has already been filed suing the government for maladministration, and lawyers say they're working on other lawsuits.

In all cases, the immigrants are suing the government for damages they have suffered as a result of the directive.

The abode-seekers are particularly bitter because they were initially granted the right to live with their parents three years ago.

But Hong Kong's authorities, with the help of the central government in Beijing, removed those rights, citing the need to limit immigration to the territory.

Their appeal against this decision, earlier this year, was turned down.

"I want to be compensated for suffering years of mental torture," said Kao Chin-sheng, who is battling for residency rights for his 18-year-old daughter.

Families split

Most of the abode-seekers have a parent who has the right to stay in Hong Kong. They want the government to reconsider because families would be split apart.

I couldn't go back earlier, I was sick. How can I pay a fine? I have no money, I'll just go to jail

Chinese immigrant leaving Hong Kong

Officials said "routine" and "special" operations would be mounted to find and remove people who did not surrender to the authorities.

But several marchers interviewed by journalists said they would not obey the order.

Wong Mei-yin, 32, told Reuters news agency: "I'll kill myself if they forcibly repatriate me. At least if I die in Hong Kong, my family can deal with my remains.

"I have no relative on the mainland".

The Hong Kong authorities insist there can be no negotiations.

Our correspondent in Hong Kong, Damian Grammaticas, says some of the people now facing deportation are as young as six years old, though many are teenagers or older.

Among those told to leave are one of a pair of twin girls and a 70-year-old man who lives in Hong Kong caring for his 90-year-old father.