Government and 28 large corporates jointly launch new round of HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas
The Government today (February 13) announced the launch of the HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas 2025 in collaboration with 28 large corporates, providing young people of Hong Kong with quality summer internship placements on the Mainland and overseas to jointly promote youth development.
In the 2024 Policy Address, the Chief Executive emphasised that the Government would sustain its efforts in strengthening support for youth development. This includes continuing to implement various exchange and internship programmes on the Mainland and overseas to encourage young people to gain a deeper understanding of national development and global development trends. In this regard, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau forged partnerships with large corporates to launch the HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas to provide internship placements at the corporates' Mainland and overseas operations, with the aim of cultivating a cohort of young talent with a good understanding of the country's development and a global perspective. The Scheme provides young people with exposure to the work culture in large corporates in different parts of the world, and an opportunity to establish interpersonal networks outside Hong Kong, enabling them to seize national development opportunities.
The number of companies participating in the new round of the Scheme has increased to 28, and internship placements are offered in multiple Mainland provinces and cities, including various Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hangzhou, as well as overseas countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. The internship placements cover different industries, such as financial services, innovation and technology, logistics, property development, construction, retail, hospitality, entertainment and utilities (please refer to Annex for details of the internship placements). Applicants should be (i) a full time post-secondary student (including sub-degree, undergraduate, or postgraduate) holding a Hong Kong permanent identity card; or (ii) a local full-time post-secondary student (including sub-degree, undergraduate, or postgraduate) holding a Hong Kong identity card. The internship will take place between June and September this year. Participating companies will sponsor the interns for major expenses including transportation and accommodation costs, and assign dedicated personnel to provide training and support to the interns.
Details of the Scheme and internship placements are available on the dedicated webpage (www.ydc.gov.hk/scsi/en). Interested young people should submit their applications through the centralised application platform on the dedicated webpage on or before March 10. Each person can apply for up to three companies in one application. Upon receiving the applications, participating companies will contact suitable applicants directly for the assessment and selection process, and make placement arrangements for selected interns.
Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation
The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation codenamed "Contribute" today (January 15).During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided premises under renovation in a newly built public housing estate in Sheung Shui district.A total of six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. Thearrested suspected illegal workers comprise six men, aged 22 to 41. Furthermore, one man, aged 45, suspected of employing the illegal workers, was also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.
Apart from mounting the enforcement operation, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute "Don't Employ Illegal Workers" leaflets and convey the message in the estate.
An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."
The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.
Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
