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Message from Director Our Vision, Mission and Values 2018 Event Highlights Our Work
Our achievements in the past year owed much to the untiring efforts of each and every colleague in serving the community with professionalism. We pledge to continue to work hard to rise to the tough challenges and contribute to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong and our country by taking forward various immigration policies with full commitment. |
Last year, the Immigration Department witnessed a number of important historic moments alongside Hong Kong, including the official commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Express Rail Link in September 2018 and the commissioning of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in October after years of preparation. These two large-scale cross boundary infrastructures have not only further shortened the distance between cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area), but also promoted economic, social and cultural exchanges in the area, which helps create more development opportunities. Since the commissioning of the two new control points, the number of passengers has repeatedly reached new highs. Despite the continuous growth in passenger traffic, our colleagues continue to stand fast at their posts and strive to serve as the gatekeeper of Hong Kong by providing convenient and efficient immigration services for passengers. Meanwhile, in the face of the pressing demand for public services from the community, we perform duties with dedication and endeavour to provide services of the best quality.
In 2018, the number of passengers passing through control points reached an all-time high of over 300 million. In order to cope with the ever-increasing passenger flow and further enhance the overall passenger clearance efficiency of control points, we have proactively implemented the arrangements for mutual use of automated immigration clearance services with different countries and regions through effective utilisation of information technology. Following the arrangements with Korea, Singapore, Germany and Australia, similar arrangements with Thailand were implemented on 15 September 2018 and both our Department and Singapore have relaxed the requirements for enrolment for mutual use of automated immigration clearance services with effect from 13 December of the same year. In addition, ‘Smart Departure’ was launched at the end of 2017. By employing facial recognition technology, it allows eligible visitors to perform self-service departure clearance without prior enrolment. Well-received by visitors and the technology sector, the service had been used by over 6.2 million visitors as at the end of 2018. It even won the Radiant Pioneer Award from the Asia Pacific Smart Card Association in December 2018 in recognition of our application of smart technology in public sector identity schemes for the provision of quality services for visitors.
Talent is of critical importance to the sustainable development of the Greater Bay Area as well as Hong Kong. To attract talent to Hong Kong and to tie in with the HKSAR Government’s policy of pooling technology talent, we launched the Technology Talent Admission Scheme in June 2018 for eligible technology companies/institutes to admit non-local technology talent to undertake research and development work in Hong Kong. Moreover, in order to provide greater travel convenience for travellers from countries along the Belt and Road and to strengthen the tourism, cultural and economic ties with these countries, Hong Kong has signed agreements on mutual visa-free access with Panama and Armenia. Together with Belarus, Bolivia, Antigua and Barbuda and Myanmar, which agreed to grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to HKSAR Passport holders last year, a total of 165 countries and territories had granted visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to HKSAR Passport holders as at the end of March 2019.
Apart from providing Hong Kong residents and visitors with convenient and speedy immigration clearance services, we have all along been committed to safeguarding the security of Hong Kong and our country by proactively combatting various immigration related crimes. During the year, we smashed several syndicates arranging bogus marriages and continued to provide active support for the HKSAR Government’s review of the strategy for handling non-refoulement claims by expediting the screening process through flexible staff deployment, streamlined workflow and procedures that meet ‘high standards of fairness’. As at the end of 2018, the total number of claims pending screening was 546, a substantial decrease of 90 per cent as compared to 5,899 claims as at the end of 2017, demonstrating that the effectiveness of the measures was remarkable. In addition, we have spared no efforts in expediting the removal of unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong. In 2018, 2,527 non-refoulement claimants were removed, of which 1,859 were rejected claimants, representing an increase of nearly 40 per cent when compared with the figure in 2017.
In recent years, with the spread of extremism across the world, which has posed a threat to the safety of all global citizens and to global economic development, counter-terrorism (CT) has become a top priority for all countries and regions. Our Department established the Counter-Terrorism Division in June 2018 to formulate and review departmental CT strategies, collect and analyse CT intelligence, investigate and take rigorous enforcement action against the entry and exit of suspected terrorists, and liaise closely with local, Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies as well as consulates in Hong Kong. We also conduct terrorist threat assessment and, in light of actual circumstances, take appropriate measures and step up interception and examination of suspicious travellers at various control points.
The long-awaited Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise was launched on 27 December 2018 to replace in phases existing Hong Kong Identity Cards (HKICs) with new smart HKICs for all HKIC holders within four years. We have all along upheld its people oriented values of care and inclusiveness in serving the public. To provide better card replacement services for elderly persons and other persons in need, a new caring arrangement has been introduced to allow eligible applicants to bring along two family members or friends aged 65 or above to have their HKICs replaced together during the same visit to a Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre (SIDCC). Barrier-free facilities have also been provided at all SIDCCs. In addition, from May 2019 onwards, our Department has rolled out for the first time the ‘On-site Identity Card Replacement Service’, an outreach service whereby elderly persons and persons with disabilities can have their HKICs replaced at their residential care homes (RCHs) throughout the territory. Residents of the relevant RCHs may choose to have their HKICs replaced onsite at the RCHs, thus saving them the trouble of travelling. The above caring arrangements aim to provide people with different needs in society with better card replacement services.
Staff is the most important asset of our Department and the key to its success. Therefore, we have been committed to providing flexible and diverse learning pathways for members of the Immigration Service with a view to enhancing the quality of the Immigration Service by facilitating life-long learning and personal development. In 2018, we collaborated with the Open University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education to offer three induction and in-service training programmes recognised under the Qualifications Framework for the Immigration Assistant grade. We will continue to apply for the inclusion of various training programmes in the Qualifications Register so that more members can acquire the relevant professional qualifications.
Our achievements in the past year owed much to the untiring efforts of each and every colleague in serving the community with professionalism. As the HKSAR Government has been striving to develop Hong Kong into a highly competitive international metropolis in recent years, our work ahead will become all the more heavier. We pledge to continue to work hard to rise to the tough challenges and contribute to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong and our country by taking forward various immigration policies with full commitment.
Director of Immigration
Tsang Kwok-wai, Erick
I.D.S.M.
In 2018, the number of passengers passing through control points reached an all-time high of over 300 million. In order to cope with the ever-increasing passenger flow and further enhance the overall passenger clearance efficiency of control points, we have proactively implemented the arrangements for mutual use of automated immigration clearance services with different countries and regions through effective utilisation of information technology. Following the arrangements with Korea, Singapore, Germany and Australia, similar arrangements with Thailand were implemented on 15 September 2018 and both our Department and Singapore have relaxed the requirements for enrolment for mutual use of automated immigration clearance services with effect from 13 December of the same year. In addition, ‘Smart Departure’ was launched at the end of 2017. By employing facial recognition technology, it allows eligible visitors to perform self-service departure clearance without prior enrolment. Well-received by visitors and the technology sector, the service had been used by over 6.2 million visitors as at the end of 2018. It even won the Radiant Pioneer Award from the Asia Pacific Smart Card Association in December 2018 in recognition of our application of smart technology in public sector identity schemes for the provision of quality services for visitors.
Talent is of critical importance to the sustainable development of the Greater Bay Area as well as Hong Kong. To attract talent to Hong Kong and to tie in with the HKSAR Government’s policy of pooling technology talent, we launched the Technology Talent Admission Scheme in June 2018 for eligible technology companies/institutes to admit non-local technology talent to undertake research and development work in Hong Kong. Moreover, in order to provide greater travel convenience for travellers from countries along the Belt and Road and to strengthen the tourism, cultural and economic ties with these countries, Hong Kong has signed agreements on mutual visa-free access with Panama and Armenia. Together with Belarus, Bolivia, Antigua and Barbuda and Myanmar, which agreed to grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to HKSAR Passport holders last year, a total of 165 countries and territories had granted visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to HKSAR Passport holders as at the end of March 2019.
Apart from providing Hong Kong residents and visitors with convenient and speedy immigration clearance services, we have all along been committed to safeguarding the security of Hong Kong and our country by proactively combatting various immigration related crimes. During the year, we smashed several syndicates arranging bogus marriages and continued to provide active support for the HKSAR Government’s review of the strategy for handling non-refoulement claims by expediting the screening process through flexible staff deployment, streamlined workflow and procedures that meet ‘high standards of fairness’. As at the end of 2018, the total number of claims pending screening was 546, a substantial decrease of 90 per cent as compared to 5,899 claims as at the end of 2017, demonstrating that the effectiveness of the measures was remarkable. In addition, we have spared no efforts in expediting the removal of unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong. In 2018, 2,527 non-refoulement claimants were removed, of which 1,859 were rejected claimants, representing an increase of nearly 40 per cent when compared with the figure in 2017.
In recent years, with the spread of extremism across the world, which has posed a threat to the safety of all global citizens and to global economic development, counter-terrorism (CT) has become a top priority for all countries and regions. Our Department established the Counter-Terrorism Division in June 2018 to formulate and review departmental CT strategies, collect and analyse CT intelligence, investigate and take rigorous enforcement action against the entry and exit of suspected terrorists, and liaise closely with local, Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies as well as consulates in Hong Kong. We also conduct terrorist threat assessment and, in light of actual circumstances, take appropriate measures and step up interception and examination of suspicious travellers at various control points.
The long-awaited Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise was launched on 27 December 2018 to replace in phases existing Hong Kong Identity Cards (HKICs) with new smart HKICs for all HKIC holders within four years. We have all along upheld its people oriented values of care and inclusiveness in serving the public. To provide better card replacement services for elderly persons and other persons in need, a new caring arrangement has been introduced to allow eligible applicants to bring along two family members or friends aged 65 or above to have their HKICs replaced together during the same visit to a Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre (SIDCC). Barrier-free facilities have also been provided at all SIDCCs. In addition, from May 2019 onwards, our Department has rolled out for the first time the ‘On-site Identity Card Replacement Service’, an outreach service whereby elderly persons and persons with disabilities can have their HKICs replaced at their residential care homes (RCHs) throughout the territory. Residents of the relevant RCHs may choose to have their HKICs replaced onsite at the RCHs, thus saving them the trouble of travelling. The above caring arrangements aim to provide people with different needs in society with better card replacement services.
Staff is the most important asset of our Department and the key to its success. Therefore, we have been committed to providing flexible and diverse learning pathways for members of the Immigration Service with a view to enhancing the quality of the Immigration Service by facilitating life-long learning and personal development. In 2018, we collaborated with the Open University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education to offer three induction and in-service training programmes recognised under the Qualifications Framework for the Immigration Assistant grade. We will continue to apply for the inclusion of various training programmes in the Qualifications Register so that more members can acquire the relevant professional qualifications.
Our achievements in the past year owed much to the untiring efforts of each and every colleague in serving the community with professionalism. As the HKSAR Government has been striving to develop Hong Kong into a highly competitive international metropolis in recent years, our work ahead will become all the more heavier. We pledge to continue to work hard to rise to the tough challenges and contribute to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong and our country by taking forward various immigration policies with full commitment.
Director of Immigration
Tsang Kwok-wai, Erick
I.D.S.M.