Hong Kong Officials Promote Greater Bay Area Opportunities During Egypt Visit

2025-05-19 19:35 Last Updated At：05-20 00:18

SCMA visits Egypt to promote development opportunities in GBA

The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, and the Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ms Maisie Chan, are on a duty visit to Egypt from May 17 to 20 to promote the development opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

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SCMA visits Egypt to promote development opportunities in GBA Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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SCMA visits Egypt to promote development opportunities in GBA Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

During his stay in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, Mr Tsang met the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Arab Republic of Egypt and Representative to the League of Arab States, Mr Liao Liqiang, and exchanged views with representatives of the political and business sectors.

Mr Tsang attended today (May 19) the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area - Africa (Egypt) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference and delivered a speech to promote the development opportunities of the GBA to the political and business sectors.

Mr Tsang said that with the full support from the Central Authorities, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and other GBA cities complement each other's strengths and work closely together to promote the GBA's high-quality development. Hong Kong possesses the institutional advantages of "one country, two systems", with a business environment that is highly market-oriented and internationalised, underpinned by the rule of law, a free flow of capital, a robust financial regulatory regime, a simple and low tax regime, and a global pool of professional talent. He encouraged enterprises to capitalise on Hong Kong's unique advantages of having the staunch support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world by establishing a foothold in the city and tapping into the huge market of the GBA.

Mr Tsang added that Hong Kong, as a world-renowned metropolis and China's most internationalised city, should play its unique roles and functions as a "super connector" and "super value-adder", commence more international co-operation, contribute to the country's high-quality opening up and development, and further enhance its global influence in the changing international landscape.

Mr Tsang will depart for Hong Kong this afternoon (Egypt time) and arrive on May 20.

Six illegal workers and an employer arrested in Hong Kong's anti-illegal worker operation Contribute.

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.

Hong Kong Officials Promote Greater Bay Area Opportunities During Egypt Visit

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