The year 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), an important landmark in the country's development journey. For the Immigration Department (ImmD), the year also held special significance. On 11 June, the new Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O town centre officially commenced operation, marking a new milestone in the growth and progress of the department. As the first dedicated headquarters in the ImmD's history, the project spanned nearly a decade from conception and planning to completion. Owing to the tireless efforts of our staff, the new headquarters was eventually completed and put into service on schedule despite numerous challenges, opening a new chapter for the department. The new headquarters comprises two buildings, the Administration Tower and the Enforcement Tower. It embodies the ImmD's equal emphasis on service provision and law enforcement, further reinforcing its steadfast commitment to serving the public, safeguarding national security, and maintaining Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.
The new Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O has officially commenced operation and will continue to provide professional and quality services to the public in a brand-new look.
In 2024, a notable increase in passenger traffic was recorded at various control points. During the year, the total number of passengers who passed through Hong Kong's control points was around 298 million, representing a substantial rise of about 41 per cent as compared with that of 2023. The number has returned to the level in 2019. To further enhance the handling capacity and clearance efficiency of the control points, the ImmD has installed additional e-Channels at different control points and continued to explore advanced technologies, such as facial recognition, to enhance self-service immigration clearance and expedite passenger clearance. At the same time, the department has worked closely with relevant authorities in Macao to launch the 'Mutual Use of QR Code between HKSAR and Macao SAR Clearance Service' to further facilitate the use of automated immigration clearance facilities by residents of both sides for cross-boundary travel, with a view to bringing them better travel experience. Furthermore, the ImmD has cancelled the requirement for visitors to furnish an arrival or departure card to streamline immigration procedures and optimise overall clearance efficiency, providing them with a more convenient immigration clearance service.
The ImmD actively supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's strategy to attract and retain talent. This helps establish Hong Kong as an international hub for high-calibre talent, adding new impetus to the city's high-quality economic development. In 2024, the ImmD implemented a series of enhanced talent admission schemes and achieved remarkable results, with nearly 140,000 visa applications approved across various talent schemes during the year. In particular, the department has refined the scoring criteria and selection process of the General Points Test under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme by introducing an assessment questionnaire in place of the previous item-by-item scoring system and removing the annual quota limit. In addition, the list of eligible universities under the Top Talent Pass Scheme has been expanded to cover 198 institutions, and the validity period of the first visa for applicants approved under Category A of the scheme has been extended from two years to three years to facilitate their advance planning for relocation to Hong Kong with their families. The department has also extended the pilot arrangement for graduates from the Greater Bay Area campuses of Hong Kong universities to work in Hong Kong, and temporarily exempted full-time non-local undergraduate students studying in Hong Kong from the restriction on taking up part-time jobs, so as to boost the graduates' incentive to stay in Hong Kong for development. Moreover, to further enrich the talent pool and attract more investors to establish a foothold in Hong Kong, the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme was launched in March 2024. As at the end of the year, the scheme attracted applications from over 800 investors and is expected to bring an investment amount of over HK$24 billion into Hong Kong, further reinforcing the city's standing as a pre-eminent international investment hub. On fostering regional connectivity, following the relaxation of visa application criteria for Vietnamese nationals visiting Hong Kong for travel or business in 2023, the relevant relaxation measure was extended this year to nationals of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, with the aims of deepening exchanges with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and fully leveraging Hong Kong's role as a 'super-connector' bridging the Mainland and the world.
The ImmD is committed to enhancing service level and work efficiency through advanced technologies and innovative thinking. By signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, both parties will explore innovative application solutions in a range of areas, so as to provide more efficient and higher-quality services to the public.
Driven by a commitment to progress and transformation, the ImmD constantly strives to promote service innovation and improve efficiency, with a view to ensuring the well-being of people. The new headquarters is equipped with more advanced facilities and infrastructure, with brand-new Personal Documentation Submission Kiosks and Personal Documentation Collection Kiosks perfectly installed in support of the Registration of Persons (Amendment) Regulation 2024, which took effect on 13 December 2024. This enables eligible applicants to apply for and collect their identity cards (ICs) and HKSAR passports in a self-service manner, completing all procedures in one go without having to meet a registration officer in person. It is also noteworthy that the processing time for issuing a new smart IC has been shortened from seven working days previously to five working days. The department has greatly improved its administrative efficiency in order to deliver higher-quality public services to citizens. In addition, the new headquarters provides registration services for marriages and births, offering members of the public a more comprehensive service support. The marriage hall of the Tseung Kwan O Marriage Registry, with its innovative design, has also proved to be highly popular. In 2024, it hosted weddings for over 1,300 couples.
Upholding the notion of 'the safety of Hong Kong people is no trivial matter; the interests of compatriots are extremely important', the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit (AHU) of the ImmD is committed to rendering all practicable assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress outside Hong Kong in a professional manner. In March 2024, the department launched the 1868 WeChat assistance hotline and introduced the 1868 Chatbot service in the Immigration Department Mobile Application. Along with the existing channels, a total of six different means of communication are available for members of the public to conveniently maintain close contact with the AHU. In June 2024, the ImmD and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR co-organised the 'Consular Protection Month' and launched the 'Consular Protection and Outbound Travel Safety' online exhibition. A series of activities were held to promote public understanding of consular protection policies involving Hong Kong and the relevant work, and to increase their awareness of outbound travel safety and response capability.
The ImmD was honoured with the newly introduced Customer Services Award in The Ombudsman's Awards 2024, fully recognising its professionalism in handling complaints and dedication to providing quality services to the public.
'The security of Hong Kong is premised on national security; only when the country is secure can our home be safe.' To safeguard the country as well as Hong Kong, our home, the ImmD is dedicated to combating all kinds of immigration-related crimes. In 2024, the department mounted multiple anti-illegal worker operations, which yielded impressive results. It has also actively conducted targeted cyber patrols on social media and instant messaging software to crack down on those who organise, arrange or incite others to commit serious illegal acts such as employing illegal workers through the said channels. These efforts aim to tackle illegal employment and protect the job opportunities of local workers. To enhance its preparedness and response capability for emergencies and terrorist attacks, the department participated in a large-scale inter-departmental counter-terrorism exercise code-named 'Wisdomlight' at the Kai Tak Sports Park in December. Moreover, it has maintained close collaboration with law enforcement agencies to jointly combat cross-boundary illegal immigration with a focus on investigating document fraud, in order to prevent lawbreakers from entering Hong Kong or travelling to other countries and territories via Hong Kong with forged travel documents. Through the sustained efforts of various law enforcement units, the average number of non-ethnic Chinese illegal immigrants intercepted per month in 2024 declined appreciably by 84 per cent from the peak in 2023. Meanwhile, the department has achieved greater efficiency in screening non-refoulement claims with flexible staff deployment and optimised workflow. In 2024, the ImmD determined over 2,700 non-refoulement claims and removed 2,219 unsubstantiated claimants from Hong Kong, representing an increase of 24 per cent over that in 2023.
Hong Kong is an important hub for international aviation, passenger travel and talent exchange. To meet the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation while taking into account that the Hong Kong International Airport is one of the world's busiest international passenger and cargo airports, the ImmD implemented the Advance Passenger Information (API) System on 3 September 2024. Airlines are required to transmit advance information about the flights and passengers heading to Hong Kong to the department through the API System during check-in, and act upon the directions given through the API System to allow or not allow specific passengers to board flights heading to Hong Kong, thereby further enhancing the clearance and enforcement capabilities of the ImmD.
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To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Immigration Department Youth Leaders Corps organised a five-day summer exchange tour to Shanghai and specially arranged for 75 members to join the tour.
Young people are the future of both the country and Hong Kong, serving as the major driving force for national development. In 2013, the ImmD established a youth uniformed group known as the Immigration Department Youth Leaders Corps (IDYL), which has since attracted over 950 members. Dedicated training officers are sent to secondary schools to provide members with diversified disciplinary and leadership training, nurturing them into pillars of society who embrace social responsibilities with patriotism and love for Hong Kong. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, the IDYL specially arranged for 75 members to join a summer exchange tour to Shanghai in July 2024, so that they could learn about the country's founding history and exchange ideas directly with local young people. A post-secondary student team, 'IDYL Plus', has also been established for senior members attending post-secondary institutions to take on leadership roles and share their experiences to mentor and guide younger members. Furthermore, since the launch of the Immigration Department Youth Ambassador Programme in 2023, the department has appointed a total of 32 Youth Ambassadors in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Wuhan. The programme offers diverse learning opportunities, enabling Youth Ambassadors to collaborate with the Immigration Divisions of the Mainland Offices of the HKSAR Government in disseminating the latest information and briefing the public on the functions of the department, so as to build a bridge of communication between the department and the public and, through concerted efforts, tell the good stories of China and Hong Kong.
Apart from actively participating in volunteer services and supporting various major sports events in the community, the Immigration Department Volunteer Work Team also extends care and warm wishes to the elderly during festive seasons.
'Embarking on a new vision, marking a new milestone.' The timely commissioning of the new headquarters not only signifies a new phase in the ImmD's development, but also suggests its stronger commitment to serving the community and fulfilling its mission. The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance took effect upon gazettal in 2024. Together with the Hong Kong National Security Law, they form a more comprehensive legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security, thereby further strengthening the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of national security protection in the HKSAR. I will continue to lead all ImmD staff, as always, to stand united and forge ahead with patriotism and love for Hong Kong. We will rigorously guard the country's southern gateway, remain steadfast in our duty to safeguard national security, and work together to create a brighter future for Hong Kong, so that members of the public may enjoy the prosperity brought by security at all times.