The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations, including an operation codenamed "Twilight," and joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force and the Labour Department codenamed "Champion" and "Powerplayer", from July 30 to August 1. A total of 13 illegal workers, five suspected employers and three overstayers were arrested.
 
      During operation "Twilight", ImmD Task Force officers raided 29 target locations including a factory, garbage collection depots, industrial buildings, industrial flats, an office, recycling shops, residential buildings, restaurants, retail shops and warehouses. Nine illegal workers and five employers were arrested. The illegal workers comprised four men and five women, aged 20 to 63. Among them, a man and a woman were suspected of using and being in possession of forged Hong Kong identity cards. Meanwhile, four men and a woman, aged 28 to 54, were suspected of employing the illegal workers.
 
      During operation "Champion", enforcement officers raided 30 target locations in Cheung Sha Wan and Lai Chi Kok districts, including an elderly home, industrial buildings and warehouses. Two female overstayers, aged 35 and 52, were arrested.
 
      Furthermore, during operation "Powerplayer", enforcement officers raided nine target car recycling yards in Yuen Long and Pat Heung districts. Four illegal workers were arrested. The illegal workers comprised four men, aged 23 to 52. Among them, three men were holders of recognisance forms, which prohibit them from taking any employment. In addition, a male overstayer, aged 28, was arrested.
 
      "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, as a standard procedure, will 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.
 

     The Land Registry today (August 2) released its statistics for July 2018.
 
Land registration
——————-

* The number of sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in July was 8,466 (-8.5 per cent compared with June but +55.0 per cent compared with July 2017)

* The 12-month moving average for July was 7,569 (3.4 per cent above the 12-month moving average for June and 1.6 per cent above that for July 2017)

* The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements in July was $99.4 billion (+23.0 per cent compared with June and +117.1 per cent compared with July 2017)

* Among the sale and purchase agreements, 6,091 were for residential units (-9.3 per cent compared with June but +73.3 per cent compared with July 2017)

* The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements in respect of residential units was $65.2 billion (-4.1 per cent compared with June but +96.4 per cent compared with July 2017)

     Statistics on sales of residential units do not include sale and purchase agreements relating to sales of units under the Home Ownership Scheme, the Private Sector Participation Scheme and the Tenants Purchase Scheme unless the premium of the unit concerned has been paid after the sale restriction period.

     Figures on sale and purchase agreements received for the past 12 months, the year-on-year rate of change and breakdown figures on residential sales have also been released.

     As deeds may not be lodged with the Land Registry until up to 30 days after the transaction, these statistics generally relate to land transactions in the previous month.
 
Land search
————-                                                                                              

* The number of searches of land registers made by the public in July was 483,658 (+5.3 per cent compared with June and +11.3 per cent compared with July 2017)

     The statistics cover searches made at the counter, through the self-service terminals and via the Integrated Registration Information System Online Services.

     A Basic Law roving exhibition organised by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau will be held this Saturday and Sunday (August 4 and 5) in Sham Shui Po.

     In addition to an exhibition introducing the content and implementation of the Basic Law, members of the public may also gain a better understanding of the Basic Law by participating in computer and stall games.

     The roving exhibition will be held at Atrium, 1/F, Dragon Centre, 37K, Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, from 11am to 7pm. Admission is free.

     The Government announced today (August 2) that the next round of recruitment exercises for the posts of Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II (EOII), Assistant Labour Officer II (ALOII), Assistant Trade Officer II (ATOII), Management Services Officer II (MSOII) and Transport Officer II (TOII) will begin in September 2018.

     Applicants for these posts will need to have obtained Level 2 in the two language papers (Use of Chinese and Use of English) or equivalent results and a Pass in the Aptitude Test (AT) paper in the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) as part of the entry requirements for the posts. In addition, candidates' performance in the Basic Law Test (Degree/Professional Grades) (BLT) will be one of the considerations to assess their suitability.

     The CRE and BLT will respectively be held in Hong Kong, and Beijing and six overseas cities. The details are set out below:
 

     Details relating to the CRE and BLT and an on-line application system will be made available on the website of Civil Service Bureau (www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html) during the said application periods, while details of the 2018-19 AO, EOII, ALOII, ATOII, MSOII and TOII recruitment exercises will be separately announced in September.

     Candidates who later submit an application for these posts will not automatically be given places at the CRE. Therefore, candidates who wish to apply for these posts in the 2018-19 recruitment exercises but do not possess the requisite CRE results or equivalent results, as well as those who would like to attempt the BLT, must file a separate application to take the relevant CRE paper(s) and/or BLT during the relevant application periods. Candidates who possess the requisite CRE or equivalent results in the two language papers but do not have a Pass in the AT paper are reminded to apply to take the AT paper in order to fulfil relevant entry requirement. Moreover, all CRE and/or BLT applicants may apply to take the examination in either Hong Kong or any one of the above-mentioned cities outside Hong Kong (i.e. Beijing and six overseas cities), but not both.

     Prospective applicants for civil service posts at degree or professional level can apply from tomorrow (August 3) to sit the Common Recruitment Examination and Basic Law Test (CRE and BLT) scheduled to be held on October 6 and 13 in Hong Kong.

     A spokesman for the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) today (August 2) said that valid CRE results are required of applicants for civil service posts at degree or professional level, unless applicants possess equivalent results in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination or other specified public examinations (the relevant details are available on the CSB webpage). Persons interested in applying for civil service posts at degree or professional level in the near future may wish to consider sitting the coming examination so as to be eligible to apply for these posts, which may become available before another CRE is held.

     In addition, applicants for civil service posts will be assessed on their Basic Law knowledge. The result of the BLT will be one of the considerations to assess the suitability of a candidate.
    
     Applicants for the coming CRE and BLT should be holders of a degree, or a qualification meeting the entry requirement on professional qualifications for civil service degree or professional posts, or university students who will have attained a degree in the 2018-19 academic year. Applicants may choose to take any of the CRE papers and/or the BLT paper in the coming examination.

     Persons interested in taking the examination may apply from tomorrow through the online application system on the CSB webpage at www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html; or by using the CRE and BLT application form (CSB31 (7/2018)), which can be downloaded from the CSB webpage or obtained from any Home Affairs Enquiry Centre of the Home Affairs Department or Job Centre of the Labour Department. Applications must be made before 5pm on August 16 (Hong Kong time).

     For the convenience of those studying or residing outside Hong Kong, the CRE and BLT is also scheduled to be held on December 8, 2018, in seven other cities, namely Beijing, London, San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney. Applications for taking the examination outside Hong Kong will be open from September 22 to October 5, 2018. Persons applying to sit the examination in Hong Kong will not be allowed to apply again for sitting the examination outside Hong Kong.

     More details about the coming CRE and BLT to be held in Hong Kong will be available on the CSB webpage from tomorrow. General enquiries may be directed to the Civil Service Examinations Unit by phone at 2537 6429 or by email to csbcseu@csb.gov.hk.