Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 24) that due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty, the lifesaving services at Cafeteria New Beach in Tuen Mun District are suspended until further notice.
First aid services will be maintained at the beach.
A Vietnamese illegal worker holding a recognisance form was jailed by Shatin Magistrates' Courts on June 22.
During operation "Twilight" on June 20, Immigration Department (ImmD) investigators raided a restaurant in Yuen Long. One male Vietnamese illegal worker, aged 34, was arrested. When intercepted he was working as a dish washing worker. Upon identity checking, he produced for inspection a recognisance form issued by the ImmD, which prohibits him from taking employment. Further investigation revealed that he was a non-refoulement claimant.
The illegal worker was charged at Shatin Magistrates' Courts on June 22 with taking employment after landing in Hong Kong unlawfully and remaining in Hong Kong without the authority of the Director of Immigration or while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment. Meanwhile, he was also charged with one count of using a forged Hong Kong identity card. He was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment. All sentences are to run concurrently, making a total of 15 months' imprisonment.
The ImmD 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. Under the prevailing laws, 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 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. 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.
Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 24) that due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty, the lifesaving services at Cafeteria Old Beach in Tuen Mun District have been suspended until further notice.
First aid services will be maintained at the beach.
Local ballet educator Margaret Lau will host a new chapter of the popular lecture series on ballet appreciation in July, August and September.
In this series of 10 lectures under the theme "The Legend Continues", Lau will revisit various thrilling excerpts of gravity-defying moments by great ballet dancers, and help the audience appreciate a new generation of dance stars who have taken up the baton in their performances of representative classical and contemporary pieces.
All of the lectures, to be conducted in Cantonese and supplemented with video clips of repertoire, will be held at 7.30pm at AC1 (except August 8 at AC2), Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Details are as follows:
July 25 (Thursday)
Topic: "Margot Fonteyn"
Video clips: The Royal Ballet (United Kingdom)
August 1 (Thursday)
Topic: "When Nureyev Meets Fonteyn"
Video clips: The Royal Ballet and Wiener Staatsoper Ballet (Austria)
August 8 (Thursday)
Topic: "Marguerite and Armand"
Video clips: The Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet (France)
August 15 (Thursday)
Topic: "Natalia Makarova and her 'Swan Lake'"
Video clips: American Ballet Theatre, London Festival Ballet (United Kingdom), the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of China
August 22 (Thursday)
Topic: "Mikhail Baryshnikov"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet (United States)
August 29 (Thursday)
Topic: "Don Quixote"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet, Australian Ballet, the National Ballet of China and Teatro alla Scala Ballet (Italy)
September 5 (Thursday)
Topic: "Cinderella"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet
September 12 (Thursday)
Topic: "La Bayadère"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet, the Royal Ballet, Teatro alla Scala Ballet and the National Ballet of China
September 19 (Thursday)
Topic: "Nijinsky Sketches"
Video clips: Mariinsky Ballet (Russia), American Ballet Theatre and Paris Opera Ballet
September 26 (Thursday)
Topic: "Nijinsky"
Video clips: The Hamburg Ballet (Germany), the National Ballet of Canada and Australian Ballet
Margaret Lau is a dance critic and feature writer for various magazines and newspapers in Hong Kong. Her published works include “Twinkle Twinkle Dance Stars", "Chinese Ballet Sketches" and "Chinese Dancers in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan". Lau has a passion for ballet and travels extensively to attend and cover dance performances. Her experience and knowledge undoubtedly enhance the audience's appreciation of ballet performances.
The Lecture series on appreciating ballet "The Legend Continues" is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Tickets priced at $50 (for each lecture) are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/programs_815.html.
​The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Stephen Phillips, today (June 24) started his duty visit to Munich and Frankfurt in Germany, Dublin in Ireland, Luxembourg, and Maastricht and The Hague in the Netherlands, as part of Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK)'s continued efforts to promote Hong Kong's business attractions.
During the five-day visit, Mr Phillips will meet with CEOs from various sectors including venture capital, fintech, genetic data, medical technology, aviation, artificial intelligence, co-working space and accelerators, investment promotion agencies and chambers of commerce. He will also speak at the Aviation Finance Festival in Dublin organised by Ishka to promote Hong Kong as the ideal aircraft leasing hub in Asia and related tax incentives.
Mr Phillips said, "Hong Kong is an international business city with proximity to the Mainland China market, playing a key role during the process of the Mainland's continued economic reform. The city has a strong foundation of rule of law and a deep pool of talents for various sectors. The Hong Kong Government has also spent a lot of resources in boosting the city's innovation and technology development, which will be a new impetus for Hong Kong's economy."
He added, "The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development is the latest leverage for Hong Kong's economy to leap further forward. The Outline Development Plan for the Greater Bay Area has set out Hong Kong's multiple roles, amongst other things as an international financial city, a global innovation hub and the centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region. These areas of work are all conducive to developing Hong Kong further as an international metropolis with enhanced competitiveness. European companies that aim to expand into Asia and the world should leverage on the unique international status of Hong Kong."
About InvestHK
InvestHK is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for attracting foreign direct investment and supporting overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services for overseas and Mainland companies. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.