Detainees at a Hong Kong immigration center have gone on hunger strikes for more than two months to protest officials’ refusals to let their cases be heard in court.

According to a letter received on Wednesday by grassroots detainee-rights body CIC Concern Group, at least 12 people held at the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Center have gone on hunger strike and have each lost 15-20 kg from consuming only water and milk tea since late June. Two were sent to Tin Shui Wai Hospital at one point after refusing even water and tea.

The 12 detainees who wrote the letter had entered Hong Kong illegally or had overstayed their visas, according to the Immigration Department. They had objected to deportation by lodging non-refoulement claims, which were rejected by the department.

They alleged that immigration director, Au Ka-wang, had barred them from taking the case to court by repeatedly refusing to grant them bail.

The 12 detainees have vowed to continue their hunger strike until they are granted bail to pursue their lawsuits in court, adding that some of them had been detained for up to two years.

“Until they decide to release us on bail from this arbitrary detention, we will continue our hunger strike,” they said.

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