During World War II, the prison was occupied by the Japanese and most of its buildings were damaged by bombing. The prison was re-opened for use in 1946 after restoration. When Hong Kong was later declared a port of first asylum for Vietnamese refugees, Victoria Prison became a transit and repatriation centre. It was subsequently developed into an institution with modern management facilities for accommodating discharged inmates of both sexes prior to repatriation or deportation. The prison buildings were declared monuments on 8 September 1995, together with the adjacent former Central Police Station and the former Central Magistracy. It was officially decommissioned on 12 March 2006. It has recently finished renovation and in 2018 Victoria Prison was reopened as The Tai Kwun Center for Heritage and Arts.