Immigrants march on Hong Kong court

More than 700 people marched on Hong Kong’s top appeals court today, as the territory prepared to begin forcibly deporting hundreds of mainland Chinese migrants.

Police barricaded the entrance to the Court of Final Appeal, and closed a nearby gate to keep the migrants, relatives and supporters from approaching.

The mainlanders shouted and waved fists but stayed peaceful. After about two hours, they began walking towards a park that has been the scene of recent protests.

‘‘I am not afraid, because I am here to fight for my rights,’’ said 30-year-old Ng Wan-wing, a native of China’s southeastern Fujian province who wants to stay in Hong Kong with his parents, who are residents.

The demonstrators demanded to see Chief Justice Andrew Li to discuss Hong Kong’s long-running

battle over immigration from the mainland - perhaps the trickiest issue to confront the local government since Britain returned its former colony to China in 1997.

The migrants said they should be allowed to remain with parents and siblings who have residency. The parents came to find work in affluent Hong Kong, leaving the children behind on the mainland, and when the children came later, many were refused residency.

After nearly 5,000 migrants lost a key court case in January, the government gave them until Sunday to leave. Thousands more who were in similar circumstances but not involved in the litigation were also told to go.

‘‘I am going to fight to the end,’’ said Choi Siu-ming, a 29-year-old from Fujian province. ‘‘If they come after me, I will hide.’’