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Immigration Department year-end-briefing 2004

28 January 2005

Following is a summation of the Immigration Department's major activities covered by the Director of Immigration, Mr Lai Tung-kwok, at the department's year-end- briefing for 2004 today (January 28):
Traffic at Control Points

In the year under review, 195.56 million passengers and cross boundary vehicles passed through our control points, up 17.72% from 166.13 million in 2003.

Lo Wu remained the busiest control point with an average daily volume of about 245,000. The highest figure of 396,532 was recorded on April 3, 2004 (Saturday), the day before Ching Ming festival.
Passenger traffic at air and sea control points also soared to 24.2 million and 21.4 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 28% and 15.1% respectively.

The Individual Visit Scheme, introduced on July 28, 2003, was initially open to residents of four Mainland cities. The scheme was extended in phases to a total of 32 cities by mid 2004. Up to the end of 2004, the total number of individual visitors from the Mainland reached 4.93 million. They accounted for 35.2% of Mainland visitors.
Automated Passenger Clearance and Automated Vehicle Clearance Projects

The Automated Passenger Clearance (APC) and Automated Vehicle Clearance (AVC) systems aim to revolutionise the immigration clearance processes at control points by leveraging the smart identity card and biometrics verification technologies with a view to enhancing the overall passenger and vehicle throughput. These systems support self-service immigration clearance for smart identity card holders.

Three auto-gates, alternatively known as e-channels, have been rolled out at the Lo Wu control point since December 16, 2004. About 270 e-channels will be installed at control points by phases and the project is targeted for completion in mid 2006.

Expanded Departure Hall at Lo Wu
Under the improvement programme completed in September, 2004, an extra 1,100 square metres of space has been made available as queuing area and for accommodating 14 additional counters. The expanded eastern departure hall is now mainly deployed for the clearance of Mainland visitors.

Additional Kiosks at Lok Ma Chau
To meet the heavy and fast-growing vehicular traffic at Lok Ma Chau control point, four additional northbound private car kiosks were constructed and put into operation from October 12, 2004. Construction of an additional four southbound private car kiosks is targeted for completion by June 2005.

Establishment of Tactical Squad
An additional 161 posts have been created for the boundary control points to cope with the increases in traffic. With the provision of additional manpower as well as internal redeployment of resources, a "Tactical Squad" with strength of 88 officers has been set up. Apart from enhancing passenger clearance capacity at Lo Wu, members of the squad will also be deployed to assist in enforcement operations against immigration offenders.

Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor & Co-location Arrangement
Construction works of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor, which began in August, 2003, are proceeding in full swing. To facilitate the 'Co-location of Boundary Crossing Facilities', a new control point providing cross-boundary services to both passengers and vehicles will be built on the Shenzhen side. The new control point is planned to operate round-the-clock. We are already at the detailed design stage of the control point, which is targeted for completion in July, 2006.

The new mode of operation will bring a more convenient and efficient service to the public. Coach passengers will present for both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen departure and arrival clearance at the same passenger terminal building.

Spur Line from Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau
To tie in with the commencement of the Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line by mid 2007, a new boundary control point will be set up at the Lok Ma Chau Terminus. A Public Transport Interchange, for access by other means of transport, will also be built next to the terminus. The detailed design work is in active progress.

Assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress outside Hong Kong
The department's Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit works closely with the Security Bureau, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in HKSAR, Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Missions overseas and the Office of the HKSAR Government in Beijing in providing practical assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress outside Hong Kong. In 2004, 5,648 requests were handled.

Traffic Accident in Taiwan
On October 18, 2004, about 30 Hong Kong residents were involved in a tragic traffic accident in Taiwan. Four immigration officers immediately flew to Taiwan to provide much-needed assistance to our fellow residents. Arrangements were made to get most of those involved back home the day after the accident. The part played by immigration officers was much appreciated by the victims and their relatives, as well as the community at large.

Operation Tsunami
In the wake of the Tsunami that struck South Asia on December 26, 2004, 85 Immigration officers were in the HKSAR Government Task Force sent to the affected areas to assist Hong Kong residents in distress. Up to January 24, 2005, the Immigration Department's hotline (2829 3010) had received 1,426 requests for assistance.

Anti-Illegal Migration Agency Combats International Crime
To strengthen international co-operation in combating illegal migration, the Anti-Illegal Migration Agency (AIM) was established on June 28, 2004. The AIM's mandate is to manage a professional and sophisticated intelligence analysis mechanism that works in synchronisation with its local, Mainland and foreign counterparts for intelligence exchange and for improvising measures against illegal migration activities on a global perspective.

Our competency in gathering and analysing intelligence from various channels has been transformed into effective enforcement action. In 2004, 1,161 illegal migrants and their aiders and abettors were intercepted at the Hong Kong International Airport and 746 were successfully prosecuted.

Illegal Work and Prostitution Shrink
In 2004, Immigration investigators conducted 7,659 operations and arrested 17,102 people comprising 15,727 illegal workers and 1,375 employers. Compared with figures in 2003, the number of operations increased by 33.5% while arrests decreased by 3%. These figures have reflected the effectiveness of our intensified enforcement actions.

Vision for 2005
2004 was a year full of challenges. Our commitment in 2005 will not be less. The provision of smooth and efficient services to the travelling public remains one of our major goals. The orderly roll out of e-channels in all passenger terminals is therefore high on the management agenda for attention. We aim to have more than 270 e-channels installed by mid 2006. The Automated Vehicle Clearance system will also be in use by phases starting from the first quarter of 2005.

On the international front, we have continued to face up to our responsibility for tackling the clandestine movement of people. Knowing that the fight cannot be won by isolated and unilateral efforts, we have strengthened co-operation with other law enforcement agencies here and abroad to combat illegal migration and document frauds. Our effort in fighting other international crimes and co-operation with Mainland and overseas counterparts will continue.

With the reinforcement from the Tactical Squad and through internal redeployment, an "Anti-illegal Workers Combat Squad" (AWCS) will be established to provide for a more speedy and robust combat force against illegal workers and their employers. Its main duties will be to conduct undercover patrol duties at black spots of illegal workers and to take immediate actions on reports of illegal workers.

To step up the integrity and security control of passports internationally, HKSAR biometric passports, embedded with a contactless integrated circuit chip containing the facial image and personal information of the holder, will be introduced in early 2007. When funds are obtained we will embark on the passport design in line with specifications of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for production.

Subject to legislative amendment, it is aimed that Appointment of Civil Celebrants can be implemented by the end of 2005. By then, Registrar of Marriages will be empowered to appoint suitable people as civil celebrants to solemnise marriages at places other than the existing marriage registries and the licensed places of public worship.

While we strive for continuous improvement on all fronts, we are fully aware of the importance of staff training to sustain the provisions of quality service. The Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development, a purpose-built 13-storey training complex, will be commissioned in mid 2005. The new institute will help to upgrade our staff training and development for coping with various challenges facing the department.