I REFER to the article headlined 'Influx of migrants to stretch services' (South China Morning Post April 26). In addition to the services currently being provided by the Social Welfare Department to all local residents, including new immigrants, a post-migration service is being provided by the Hong Kong branch of the International Social Service (ISS-HK).
The agency has been receiving government subvention since 1970 to provide services to new mainland immigrants, through the assistance of the Immigration Department, to help them adjust to life in Hong Kong.
These services include casework counselling, orientation sessions, tutorial groups for children, Cantonese and English classes, and social groupings for new immigrants.
To cope with an expanded daily quota from 75 to 105 legal immigrants from China, an additional family caseworker unit was allocated to ISS-HK last year. At the same time family services have been expanded, bringing the total to 39 centres in the Social Welfare Department.
Together with the other 23 family service centres operated by subvented agencies, services provided for new immigrants, just like local residents, include counselling , family support such as home help, family aide, child care centres, an after school care programme, and referrals for housing and financial assistance.
For the justified and needy cases, the Director of Social Welfare is empowered to waive the residential qualification for new immigrants to apply for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance. To better inform new immigrants on the various social services here, the department has commissioned ISS-HK to produce a short video programme in both Cantonese and Putonghua for them to view.
