Hong Kong authorities have detained or deported at least 80 Falungong practitioners ahead of celebrations to mark the fifth anniversary of the territory's reversion to Chinese rule, a group spokeswoman said.
Spokeswoman Sophie Xiao said between 40 and 50 Falungong followers were stopped after landing at Hong Kong's international airport on a flight from Taiwan late Saturday night.
Another 44 from countries including Taiwan, Australia, France, Germany and Singapore, were denied entry on Saturday and the previous six days after arriving at the airport.
Xiao claimed some of the practitioners had been "manhandled" while being put on flights back to their countries of origin, but her claims were not verified.
The immigration department has consistently said it will not comment on individual cases of detention and deportation at the airport.
A Falungong member who was detained on Friday, Vina Li, said immigration officials had cited "security reasons" for their decision to refuse entry to her and other travelling companions.
Li, who arrived from Sydney, Australia, told AFP by phone while still at the airport she was visiting Hong Kong for "personal business" and not specifically to participate in any protests against Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit Monday.
Jiang is coming to Hong Kong as part of the handover celebrations.
Li said she had visited the territory many times before without incident and was unaware how immigration officials knew she was a Falungong practitioner this time round, hinting at the existence of an immigration "blacklist".
However, Security Secretary Regina Ip denied the existence of such a list.
"We do not have a list, but as there will be important ceremonies in the next few days, it is naturally necessary for Hong Kong... to take special measures to ensure that only those people who will not cause any trouble or disorder in Hong Kong are allowed entry," she told reporters.
Li said she was going to be deported back to Australia on the next available flight while other practitioners were also likely be sent back to their respective countries later Saturday.
The practitioners were hoping to join a mass demonstration planned to mark the five years since the former British colony was handed back to China on July 1, 1997.
Beijing has outlawed the Falungong as an "evil cult" although it is still legal in Hong Kong which enjoys autonomy under the "one country, two systems" scheme hammered out by Britain and China.