Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a territory-wide anti-illegal worker operation codenamed “Twilight” on January 2 and 3. A total of 17 illegal workers and five suspected employers were arrested.
      
     During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided 16 target locations including a commercial building, a company, a factory, massage parlours, residential buildings, restaurants and a salon. Seventeen illegal workers and five employers were arrested. The illegal workers comprised 11 men and six women, aged 27 to 55. Among them, one woman was suspected of using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card. Meanwhile, two men and three women, aged 25 to 62, were suspected of employing the illegal workers.
      
     “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him 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,” an ImmD spokesman said.
 
     The spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, illegal immigrants or people who are the subject of a removal order or a deportation order are prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has issued a guideline ruling that a sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment should be applied in such cases. It is an offence to use or possess a forged Hong Kong identity card or a Hong Kong identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
      
     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. According to 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. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.
      
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct 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) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threat and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent interference, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold a public hearing on “Centre for Food Safety: Import control of foods” (Chapter 2) of the Director of Audit’s Report No.71 at 9am next Monday (January 7) in Conference Room 2 of the LegCo Complex.
 
     Eight witnesses have been invited to appear before the above hearing to respond to points raised in the Report and answer questions asked by PAC members.
 
     The programme for the public hearing is as follows:
 
Date: January 7 (Monday)
Time: 9am
Venue: Conference Room 2

Subject:
Centre for Food Safety: Import control of foods (Chapter 2 of the Director of Audit’s Report No.71)

Witnessess:

Secretary for Food and Health
Professor Sophia Chan

Deputy Secretary for Food and Health (Food)2
Mr Eugene Fung
 
Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene
Miss Vivian Lau
 
Controller, Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
Dr Ho Yuk-yin
 
Assistant Director (Risk Management)
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
Dr Christine Wong
 
Assistant Director (Corporate and System Management)
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
Ms Winnie Lau
 
Assistant Commissioner (Boundary and Ports)
Customs and Excise Department
Ms Louise Ho
 
Head of Land Boundary Command
Customs and Excise Department
Ms Sandra Tam

     PAC is chaired by Mr Abraham Shek, and its Deputy Chairman is Mr Kenneth Leung. Other members include Mr Paul Tse, Mr Steven Ho, Mr Lam Cheuk-ting, Mr Shiu Ka-fai and Ms Tanya Chan. read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, January 4, 2019 is 104.6 (down 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more

     The Transport Department (TD) today (January 4) reminded the public that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in the vicinity of the Central Ferry Piers and North Point to facilitate the holding of the Community Chest 50th Anniversary Walk for Millions this Sunday (January 6).

     The special traffic and transport arrangements will mainly include:
 
Road closures and traffic arrangements
——————————————–
 
1. The following roads will be temporarily closed from midnight to 10.30am:
 
* The section of Lung Wo Road (eastbound and westbound) between Man Yiu Street and Edinburgh Place;
* The section of Edinburgh Place northbound between Harcourt Road and Lung Wo Road; and
* Yiu Sing Street.
 
2. The following roads will be temporarily closed from 2am to 10.30am:
 
* Man Kwong Street (eastbound and westbound);
* Man Fai Street; and
* The section of Man Yiu Street (southbound and northbound) between Man Kwong Street and Man Po Street.

3. The following roads will be temporarily closed from 2am to 12.30pm:
 
* The section of Oil Street (north of Wang On Road);
* King Wah Road;
* The section of Fook Yum Road between King Wah Road and Wang On Road; and
* The slow lane of a section of Oil Street between Electric Road and Wang On Road.

4. The traffic direction at the section of Rumsey Street between Man Kat Street and Chung Kong Road will be temporarily reversed to one-way southbound traffic.

5. Traffic along Man Yiu Street southbound, Man Po Street eastbound and Man Cheung Street eastbound will be prohibited from entering Yiu Sing Street eastbound and Lung Wo Road eastbound. Affected vehicles will be diverted via Man Yiu Street southbound, Connaught Place and Connaught Road Central eastbound.

6. The on-street parking spaces on Lung Wo Road, Man Kwong Street and A2 Road will be suspended.

Public transport services
—————————
 
1. A total of 20 bus routes and two green minibus routes will be diverted;
 
2. The bus and green minibus termini at the Central Ferry Piers will be suspended from the first departure of the day; and
 
3. The taxi stands at Man Kwong Street, Expo Drive and Fook Yum Road will be suspended from 2am.
 
     The above road closures and diversions will be implemented until the road closure is lifted. The public transport operators will display notices to remind passengers of the above arrangements.

     The event will take a route via Edinburgh Place, Lung Wo Road, Yiu Sing Street, Man Yiu Street, Man Kwong Street and the Central – Wan Chai Bypass, and finish at Oil Street in North Point. Members of the public are advised to plan their journeys in advance, use railway services as far as possible and allow more travelling time to avoid possible delay. Commuters are advised to pay attention to the arrangements of route diversions and suspension/relocation of stops.
     
     For enquiries on the special traffic and transport arrangements, please call 1823 or visit the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk) for more details. read more

     Gulf Connexions Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay wages to employees. The company and its director pleaded guilty at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts today (January 4) and were each fined $70,000, making a total of $140,000.

     The company failed to pay five employees’ wages totalling about $270,000 within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods in accordance with the Employment Ordinance (EO). The director concerned was convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.

     “The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the time limit stipulated in the EO,” a spokesman for the LD said.

     “The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees’ statutory rights,” the spokesman added. read more