12 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation
The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Lightshadow" to combat illegal food delivery couriers from April 13 to yesterday (April 22). A total of eight suspected illegal workers and four suspected aiders and abettors were arrested.
The ImmD has long been highly vigilant against the problem of illegal employment and has taken vigorous and effective enforcement actions. The ImmD has mounted intelligence-led focused operations in multiple targeted locations. During the operation codenamed "Lightshadow", eight suspected illegal workers and four suspected aiders and abettors were arrested by ImmD Task Force officers. All arrested suspected illegal workers were non-ethnic Chinese males aged 22 to 51. All of them were found to be holders of recognisance forms and were non-refoulement claimants, which prohibits them from taking any employment in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the four suspected aiders and abettors were Hong Kong residents aged 31 to 44. The three men and one woman were arrested for being suspected of a conspiracy to defraud delivery platforms by selling or renting their food delivery courier accounts to the illegal workers.
An ImmD 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 labourvictims. When any TIP and/or forced labourindicator 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 labourelements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP and/or forced labourvictims 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 labourvictims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 185 185, fax at 2824 1166, email anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit the "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.
The Immigration Department mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Lightshadow" to combat illegal food delivery couriers from April 13 to yesterday (April 22). Photo shows a suspected illegal worker arrested during an operation. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Immigration Department mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Lightshadow" to combat illegal food delivery couriers from April 13 to yesterday (April 22). Photo shows evidence seized during the operations. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS proceeds to Xi'an for visit
The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, completed his visit programme in Dalian this morning (June 25) and proceeded to Xi'an at noon for a visit.
Mr Chan called on the Secretary of the CPC Xi'an Municipal Committee, Mr Hao Huijie, and the Mayor of Xi'an, Mr Ye Niuping, for in-depth exchanges on strengthening co-operation between the two places.
Upon arriving in Xi'an, Mr Chan visited Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU). He met with the Secretary of the CPC XJTU Committee, Mr Wu Guosheng, and, accompanied by the Vice President, Professor Shan Zhiwei, held a symposium with innovation and technology enterprises in Xi'an, during which he introduced Hong Kong's business environment, financial and innovation and technology ecosystems, and listened to their business development plans. Mr Chan said that Shaanxi has solid strengths in hard technology, with its innovation capabilities continuously improving, and possesses the capability to expand international business. He encouraged enterprises to actively consider using Hong Kong as a platform for developing international business, and to make good use of Hong Kong's full-chain funding ecosystem and professional services to grow bigger and stronger. The Director-General of the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, Mr Peter Yan, and representatives of the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited attended the symposium.
Mr Chan then delivered a speech to about 400 teachers, students and alumni of XJTU, focusing on how Hong Kong and Xi'an can work together to effectively transform hard technology achievements into products and services for the global market, and encouraging students and alumni to make good use of Hong Kong's platform to seize development opportunities.
Mr Chan pointed out that Xi'an has outstanding research strengths in hard technology areas such as aerospace technology, artificial intelligence, new energy and new materials, and that cutting-edge technologies can fully unleash their value only by "identifying the right scenarios and the right applications". For hard technology to become efficient productive forces, apart from laboratory breakthroughs, it must also rely on capital relay, market validation and internationalisation channels, and Hong Kong can provide crucial support in these areas.
He said that Xi'an's strength lies in hard technology, while Hong Kong's strengths lie in "one country, two systems", internationalisation and its status as a financial centre. The country supports Hong Kong in building itself into an international financial centre, an international innovation and technology centre and a hub for talent, meaning that Hong Kong is not only a place where capital and talent converge, but also a "converter" for connecting technology with capital and helping enterprises adapt to international strategies. He pointed out that Hong Kong's initial public offerings, secondary market financing, private equity funds, exchange-traded products and cross-boundary asset management offer market depth, breadth, innovation and flexibility. Together with a robust banking system and a sound Linked Exchange Rate System, they provide technology enterprises with multi-level fundraising and financing channels as well as risk management tools.
On technology innovation, he emphasised that Hong Kong is promoting the integration of "AI+" and "Finance+", and has advantages in areas such as communications hub functions and computing power development. In addition, the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited, as the Government's patient capital, supports investment in small, early-stage, long-term and hard technology projects. When Xi'an's technology seeks to go international, in addition to the technology itself, it also needs capital that understands technology, professional services, patent protection, brand building and global networks — and these are precisely the support that Hong Kong can provide.
Mr Chan encouraged young students to regard Hong Kong as one of the barometers of the global market, actively enter the intersection of "finance + technology", and make good use of Hong Kong's positioning as an international financial centre and an international innovation and technology centre to accumulate practical experience across markets and regions. He also encouraged them to base themselves in Hong Kong and look to the world, and welcomed them to make use of learning, internship and work opportunities in Hong Kong to build connections with international capital, markets and professional institutions.
In conclusion, he said that Hong Kong is willing to be a long-term partner of Xi'an and of the teachers, students and alumni of XJTU. With the shared goal of "Xi'an R&D, Hong Kong empowerment, global application", Hong Kong is ready to deepen collaboration in project co-operation, capital matching and talent exchanges.
The Vice Chairman of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Mr Zhang Xiaoguang, and the President of the Hong Kong China Friendship Association, Ms Cheng Cheung-ling, took part in the visit programme at XJTU.
Before leaving Dalian in the morning, Mr Chan continued to attend the Summer Davos 2026. He spoke at a session organised by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited on "Scaling Green Technology for Climate Impact: How Capital Accelerate Change".
Speaking at the session, Mr Chan said that Hong Kong has set clear carbon reduction targets, including reducing carbon emissions by half before 2035 as compared with 2005 levels, and achieving carbon neutrality before 2050. However, Hong Kong also sets a higher goal of serving the country's and the region's green transition. As an international financial centre, Hong Kong continues to play its role as a green financing hub, and will further promote financial innovation, including the continued development of digital green bonds, insurance-linked securities such as catastrophe bonds, and other instruments. It will also actively align with international green and sustainable finance standards, including promoting the Sustainable Finance Action Agenda, strengthening climate-related disclosure requirements for listed companies, and enhancing the green and transition finance taxonomy framework.
On industrial development, Hong Kong is accelerating the building of a green technology ecosystem. Currently, more than 300 green technology enterprises have established a presence at Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport, and possess international competitiveness. The HKSAR Government continues to support the development of green industries of strategic significance, promoting the transformation of research outcomes and industrial upgrading.
Mr Chan will continue his visit programme in Xi'an tomorrow (June 26).
FS proceeds to Xi'an for visit Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS proceeds to Xi'an for visit Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS proceeds to Xi'an for visit Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS proceeds to Xi'an for visit Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS proceeds to Xi'an for visit Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS proceeds to Xi'an for visit Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS proceeds to Xi'an for visit Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS proceeds to Xi'an for visit Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS proceeds to Xi'an for visit Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
