2025 Legislative Council General Election Preparations Complete Ahead of Tomorrow's Vote in Hong Kong

EAC Chairman visits polling stations of Legislative Council General Election

The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:

The 2025 Legislative Council General Election (LCGE) will be held tomorrow (December 7).The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC), Mr Justice David Lok, and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, accompanied the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, to visit the Near Boundary Polling Station (NBPS) at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port and the Ordinary Polling Station at Tung Chung Man Tung Road Sports Centre this morning (December 6) to see for themselves the final preparatory work including the set-up of the venue and rehearsals for the LCGE.

Mr Justice Lok said that the preparatory work for the 2025 LCGE is ready and the staff members are carrying out final preparations and drills. He thanked the staff members for their efforts to ensure that the LCGE tomorrow would be conducted in an open, honest, fair as well as safe and orderly manner.

This morning, EAC member Professor Daniel Shek also inspected the Outreach Polling Station for Residential Care Homes at Kwu Tung North Multi-welfare Services Complex and the Hospital Authority Healthcare Staff Designated Polling Station at St. Rose of Lima's College, whereas EAC member Mr Bernard Man, SC, inspected the Ethnic Minorities Designated Polling Station at Tang Shiu Kin Victoria Government Secondary School and the Ordinary Polling Station at Lai Chi Kok Sports Centre.

In the afternoon, the two EAC members joined Mr Justice Lok to visit the ballot paper sorting station cum consolidated main counting stations at Kowloon Park Sports Centre. They then visited the polling station of the Election Committee constituency (ECC) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in the company of the Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Tony Wong, and the Convenor and Members of the Technical Advisory Committee, to inspect the on-site drill conducted by staff members to ensure a smooth operation of the electoral work.

Every constituency is contested in this LCGE. A total of 161 candidates will contest 90 seats, including 20 seats from 10 geographical constituencies, 30 seats from 28 functional constituencies and 40 seats from the ECC.

The polling hours for the Ordinary Polling Stations, the ECC polling station, the three Dedicated Polling Stations set up at police stations and the NBPSs will be from 7.30am to 11.30pm. For the Dedicated Polling Stations set up at penal institutions, for security reasons, the polling hours will be from 9am to 4pm. For the Designated Polling Stations (namely the Civil Servant Designated Polling Stations, Hospital Authority Healthcare Staff Designated Polling Stations and Ethnic Minorities Designated Polling Stations) and Outreach Polling Stations for Residential Care Homes under the pilot arrangements, their polling hours are from 8.30am to 9.30pm, and from 8.30am to 6.30pm respectively.

On the polling day, electors can check the approximate waiting time of Ordinary Polling Stations, the ECC polling station and NBPSs on the election website (www.elections.gov.hk). Depending on the waiting time and their schedule, electors can make their own arrangements on when to vote.

For enquiries, please call the election hotline on 2891 1001 or visit the election website for more information about the LCGE.

EAC Chairman visits polling stations of Legislative Council General Election Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EAC Chairman visits polling stations of Legislative Council General Election Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EAC Chairman visits polling stations of Legislative Council General Election Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EAC Chairman visits polling stations of Legislative Council General Election Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EAC Chairman visits polling stations of Legislative Council General Election Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EAC Chairman visits polling stations of Legislative Council General Election Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EAC Chairman visits polling stations of Legislative Council General Election Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EAC Chairman visits polling stations of Legislative Council General Election Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

22 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Twilight" and joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed "Champion" from March 27 to yesterday (April 1). During the anti-illegal worker operations, investigators raided multiple target locations including restaurants, industrial buildings and flats under renovation, etc. Twenty suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised 15 men and five women, aged 25 to 57. Among them, one man and one woman were holding recognisance forms which prohibit them from taking any employment. Two men, aged 36 and 60, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.

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 warned, "As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, 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 is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment. As stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance, the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant, prohibiting the immigrant from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter if the immigrant has been found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years."

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 185 185, fax at 2824 1166, emailanti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit the "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form atwww.immd.gov.hk.

22 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases