Hong Kong's Immigration Department Arrests 22 Persons During Anti-Illegal Worker Operations

22 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Contribute", a joint operation with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department codenamed "Flabbergast", and joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed "Champion" from April 24 to yesterday (April 29). During the anti-illegal worker operations, ImmD officers raided multiple target locations, including restaurants, retail stores and flats under renovation. Eighteen suspected illegal workers and four suspected employers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised 13 men and five women, aged 19 to 54. Among them, a woman was suspected of using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card.Two men and two women, aged 39 to 54, 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.

The ImmD and the Travel Industry Authority have also deployed officers to distribute leaflets to the public and visitors at tourist hotspots across the territory, conveying the message of "Don't employ illegal tour escorts or tourist guides".

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. Under the prevailing laws, it is an offence to use or possess a forged identity card or an identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to 10 years' imprisonment."

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, email anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit the "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations from April 24 to yesterday (April 29). Photo shows officers from the ImmD and the Travel Industry Authority distributing leaflets to the public and visitors, conveying the message of "Don't employ illegal tour escorts or tourist guides". Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Immigration Department mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations from April 24 to yesterday (April 29). Photo shows investigators showing items seized during an operation. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations from April 24 to yesterday (April 29). Photo shows officers from the ImmD and the Travel Industry Authority distributing leaflets to the public and visitors, conveying the message of "Don't employ illegal tour escorts or tourist guides". Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Immigration Department mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations from April 24 to yesterday (April 29). Photo shows suspected illegal workers arrested during an operation. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units

Today (May 3) is the fourteenth day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. Five high-zone floors of Wang Tai House and 10 middle-zone floors of Wang Shing House were opened. The access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly.

A total of 119 households (439 people) registered to return to their units today through the "one social worker per household" service, while 120 households (455 people) actually turned up.

The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was two hours and 25 minutes, with the shortest time being 15 minutes and the longest three hours and 40 minutes. About 69 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than three hours. About 27 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than two hours. About 7 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour.

A total of 61 households (120 people) went up and down the building more than once. Among them, 37 households (79 people) made one additional trip, 16 households (29 people) made two additional trips, 5 households (8 people) made three additional trips, and 3 households (4 people) made four additional trips.

The integrated enquiry counter set up by relevant departments today received ten cases requesting police assistance and two cases involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort.

The 10 cases requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including watches, jewellery, cash and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and lost property was recovered in one case. In one case, the unit concerned was severely damaged and resident believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. In another five cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units, and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned. For the remaining three cases, the Police will make further investigation.

The Government spares no effort in supporting the residents returning to their units. Each day, the Government deploys over 1 000 personnel from various departments, including the Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams members. The "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism has also been activated to bring together greater interdepartmental resources to support residents.

Under the "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau has co-ordinated nine government departments to mobilise civil servants to form the Government Quick Response Unit to support these access arrangements. These civil servants come from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD), the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the Lands Department (LandsD), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Post Office, and the Water Supplies Department (WSD). They will form dedicated teams with social workers and clinical psychologists from the SWD, stationed on different floors to provide support to residents returning to their units. The civil servants mobilised in the first three days were from the AFCD, those mobilised from the fourth day to the sixth day are from the EMSD and the LCSD, those mobilised from the seventh day to the ninth day are from the LandsD and the WSD, those mobilised from the tenth day to the twelfth day are from the Post Office and the ArchSD, while those mobilised from the thirteenth day to the fifteenth day (including today) are from the FEHD and the EPD.

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes fourteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases