Author Archives: hksar gov

     Following is a question by the Dr Hon Chiang Lai-wan and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, in the Legislative Council today (May 23):

Question:

     It is learnt that as some ethnic minority (EM) women do not understand Chinese nor English, they are unable to integrate into the Hong Kong community, not to mention securing employment.  The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) pointed out in its submission to the Panel on Constitutional Affairs of this Council in February 2014 that “ethnic minority women are generally considered as one of the most vulnerable groups in Hong Kong due to their cultural and language background…. (the) Government should take appropriate measures proactively to empower ethnic minority women to facilitate their integration into the local community”.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the Government proactively took appropriate measures in the past three years to take forward the aforesaid recommendation of EOC so as to help the EM women integrate into the community; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; 

(2) whether the Government offered in the past three years Chinese or English language courses specifically designed for newly arrived EM women; if so, of the number of EM women who attended such courses; and 

(3) whether the Government has offered domestic helper training courses conducted in EM languages for enrolment by EM women, in order to help them secure employment; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the Government) is alive to the difficulties faced by some ethnic minorities (EMs), including EM women, in integrating into the society due to language barrier and cultural differences.  Therefore, various bureaux and departments, according to their policy purviews, provide relevant services and support for EMs to meet their needs so as to facilitate their early integration into the society.  The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau (CMAB) is responsible for the overall policy on the promotion of racial equality and the Race Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 602).  It has issued the Administrative Guidelines on Promotion of Racial Equality to provide guidance to relevant bureaux and departments to ensure equal access to public services by EMs.  For example, the Education Bureau implements a series of measures to help EM students learn Chinese.  Overseen by the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB), the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) and the Labour Department provide EMs with employment training and support.  The Home Affairs Department (HAD) provides support services that help EMs integrate into the community.

     After consulting the relevant bureaux and departments, the consolidated reply to the question raised is as follows:

(1) Starting from 2014-15, CMAB has been providing a recurrent funding of $4.69 million to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) for enhancing the EOC’s publicity and education programmes on the Race Discrimination Ordinance.  The EOC has since set up an Ethnic Minorities Unit (the Unit) to promote equal opportunities for EMs, including EM women, through advocacy, training and promotional efforts.  Besides, the CMAB provided an additional provision of $3 million to the Unit in 2017-18 for promoting equal opportunities for EMs.  The funded programmes include media campaigns, production of educational publications, and conducting integrated research on EM education, academic and employment pathway with a view to drawing up practical guidebooks for EM youth.  The Unit has all along been committed to helping EM women integrate into our community.  To this end, a number of leadership groups, including one on Pakistani women and another on Sikh women, were formed last year within these communities with the objective of creating a team of ambassadors who can raise awareness and provide information on equal opportunities to community members as well as channel feedback to the EOC on their concerns. 

     In addition, the Women’s Commission (WoC) was established in January 2001 as a high-level central mechanism on women’s issues.  Its mission is to enable women in Hong Kong, including EM women, to fully realise their due status, rights and opportunities in all aspects of life.  As at May 2018, amongst the 21 non-official members of WoC, one member is an EM woman.  The WoC initiated the Capacity Building Mileage Programme (CBMP) in 2004 to encourage women of different backgrounds and educational levels to pursue lifelong learning and self-development.  To encourage EM women to empower themselves through self-learning, the CBMP has offered some courses in English since March 2013.  Besides, since 2012, LWB has been providing funding for WoC to implement the Funding Scheme for Women’s Development for women’s groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for organising projects and programmes which are conducive to women’s development.  WoC also distributes funding through the 18 District Councils to women’s groups and NGOs in organising more district level activities which are conducive to women’s development with a view to establishing a harmonious community together.  Beneficiaries cover wide-range of women, including grassroot women, new arrival women, as well as EM women, etc.

     HAD provides support services to EMs, including EM women, to help them integrate into the community.  Major services include commissioning NGOs to operate six support service centres for EMs and two sub-centres to provide tailor-made classes, counselling, integration programmes and other support services.  Some of these activities, such as mutual support groups for women, interest classes, health talks, etc, are specifically designed for EM women.  With regard to the dissemination of information, HAD publishes guidebooks in English and six EM languages and maintains a dedicated website (www.had.gov.hk/rru) to introduce public services to EMs; sponsors five radio programmes in EM languages to provide EMs with local news and important government announcements; and commissions an NGO to distribute information kits to newly arrived EMs at the airport and answer their enquiries.

(2) The ERB has been offering dedicated Chinese or English language courses for EMs, including workplace Cantonese, workplace Putonghua, workplace Chinese (reading and writing), English training, etc.  Eligible charitable organisations may also apply for subvention under the Adult Education Subvention Scheme (AESS) to conduct language and re-orientation courses designed for EMs.  The numbers of the language courses concerned and enrolled EM trainees, including women trainees, in the past three years (i.e. 2015-16 to 2017-18) are shown in Appendix I. 

     In addition, HAD also organises language courses to help EMs meet the social needs in their daily lives.  In the past three project years, a list of relevant courses organised and the number of EM women participating in such courses are shown in Appendix II.

(3) Currently, ERB has not offered domestic helper training courses conducted in EM languages.  If an EM would like to take any retraining course conducted in Cantonese, ERB could arrange teaching assistants who can speak English or EM languages to support in class, or offer subsidy to the training body concerned for development of supporting materials and teaching assistance.  Through its Focus Group on Training for Ethnic Minorities, ERB will understand the training and employment needs of EMs and hence provide suitable retraining courses. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Yiu Si-wing and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, in the Legislative Council today (May 23):
 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that during the Labour Day holiday of the Mainland (commonly known as “Labour Day Golden Week”) this year, a large number of Mainland residents came to Hong Kong under the arrangement of a number of Mainland travel agencies, and set up tents and stayed overnight at designated camp sites and locations where the erection of tents was not permitted (e.g. beaches).  Such a situation not only caused nuisance to the residents in the vicinity of the camp sites, but also affected environmental hygiene and natural ecology.  In reply to an enquiry raised by me on related issues last year, the Government indicated that it would step up law enforcement actions and communicate with the relevant Mainland authorities.  However, the problem is still worsening.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the measures and follow-up actions taken by the authorities so far since the occurrence of the aforesaid situation last year; 

(2) whether it has conducted investigations into cases in which organisations not holding a travel agent’s licence were suspected to be running the aforesaid business; if so, of the details of the law enforcement actions taken in the past 12 months by the authorities, and the respective numbers of prosecutions and convictions concerned; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) whether it reviewed, in the past three years, the booking arrangement adopted for the various designated camp sites and the supply and demand of camping areas; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether it will consider capping the number of persons on the camp sites so as to provide campers with a better camping experience and avoid causing excessive nuisance to the surrounding environment; and 

(4) given that more and more local residents and Mainland tourists are interested in going to Hong Kong’s countryside for recreational purpose, whether the authorities will make available more designated camp sites and install additional facilities at existing camp sites to meet the demand; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?  

Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Government attaches great importance to the sustainable and healthy development of the tourism industry.  While ensuring the industry’s stable and orderly growth, we also seek to minimise as far as possible the impact of tourist activities on the local community.  With the relevant bureaux and departments consulted, our reply to the question raised by the Hon Yiu is as follows:

(1) In May 2017, after noticing a number of Mainland tourists had camped at Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach, Mui Wo Silver Mine Bay Beach and Pui O Campsite on Lantau Island, the Tourism Commission (TC) immediately wrote to the then China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) (the present Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCT)) reporting to them the situation and urging them to, through appropriate channels in the Mainland, remind the travel trade and travellers to pay attention to and comply with relevant rules and regulations in Hong Kong.  The then CNTA replied in June 2017, vowing to step up training for tourist guides and pre-departure education, so as to make sure the travel trade and travellers were well aware of the relevant information.  TC also collaborated with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) in stepping up inspections at various popular campsites and reminding travellers to abide by relevant rules and regulations. 

     Prior to the 2018 Labour day Holiday, after noticing the flock of Mainland tourists into Ham Tin Wan and Sai Wan in Sai Kung, TC immediately notified AFCD, which sent officers to inspect the sites, as well as came up with contingent staffing arrangements to ensure sufficient manpower was deployed to patrol the area throughout the Holiday, to advise and educate individuals involved in inappropriate behaviours, and to step up site cleansing.
 
     TC convened an inter-departmental meeting in early-May to explore ways to more effectively cope with similar incidents.  The meeting agreed TC would step up liaison with various Mainland tourism authorities (including the MoCT, the Guangdong Province Tourism Administration, the Guangzhou Tourism Authority and the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism, etc.) with a view to keeping in view the travel trends of Mainland tourists, and identifying and reporting destinations that they would likely visit to Home Affairs Department and other relevant departments in various districts for advance planning.  AFCD, LCSD and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department would too from time to time review their site management and staffing mechanism, including deploying staff to step up management of tourist flows at popular destinations during peak arrival seasons of Mainland tourists, such as the Chinese New Year Golden Week and National Day Golden Week, as necessary, so as to minimise the impact of tourist activities on the local community.

(2) We understand the Mainland camping groups visiting Hong Kong during the past two Labour day Holidays were organised by Mainland corporations or tourists themselves, and no Hong Kong receiving agents were involved.  TC has written to the MoCT and other relevant Mainland departments expressing concerns on the issue and urging them to look into the case and follow up on any corporations or individuals proven in violation of relevant Mainland rules and regulations.  In the meantime, the Travel Agents Registry would continue to maintain close communication with the travel trade and refer any information on suspected unlicensed travel agent business cases to the Police for criminal investigation.

(3) and (4) There are currently 44 designated campsites in Hong Kong, of which 41 are within country parks, under AFCD’s jurisdiction and open to the public (including travellers, similarly hereinafter) on a first-come, first-served basis.  Out of the remaining three, which are under LCSD’s jurisdiction, Chong Hing Water Sports Centre, as a recreational spot integrating facilities for day camping, overnight camping and water activities, requires reservation.  Pui O Campsite on Lantau Island offers designated camp bays indicated by markings and an open lawn camping area, of which the former are open for priority reservation by Hong Kong residents during Labour day, National Day and Chinese New Year Holidays and, open to public use with on-site registration on a first-come, first-served basis as the latter is, during other times of the year.  As regards the Tuen Mun Butterfly Beach Park Campsite, it also offers designated camp bays that are open for public use with on-site registration on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
     The Government conducts review on the use of campsites from time to time, and improves their facilities and explores increasing camping locations based on the needs of countryside visitors and the conditions of individual locations.  Insomuch as LCSD is concerned, the registration rates of campsites under its jurisdiction reached around 80 per cent on average in the past three years, and the department has carried out regular maintenance work on the facilities concerned depending on the situation.
 
     As for AFCD, to meet public demands for camping activities in country parks, the department recently improved the facilities and services of various campsites based on their usage and popularity, including designating two new campsites in Sai Wan and Tai Mong Tsai in Sai Kung in 2014 and 2015 respectively, as well as conducting improvement work on the camping ground of Wan Tsai campsite in Sai Kung in 2016 and extension work on the camping area of Chung Pui campsite in Tai Po in 2017.  Furthermore, the department has commissioned a consultancy study to explore the enhancement of recreation and education potential of country parks with an aim to meeting public needs.  In respect of overnight facilities in country parks, the consultancy will explore the feasibility of introducing a reservation system for designated campsites in country parks.  AFCD expects public consultation to be conducted under the study within 2018. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, in the Legislative Council today (May 23):

Question:

     Some psychologists have pointed out that children from single-parent families may easily develop complex emotions and hence are prone to exhibit extreme behaviours.  On the other hand, since the Government’s cessation in 2004 of subvention for the five single parent centres (SPCs) operated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the services needed by single-parent families have been provided by the Integrated Family Service Centres (IFSCs) under the Social Welfare Department (SWD). However, some concern groups on single-parent families have relayed to me that the services provided by IFSCs lack focus and may not meet the needs of single-parent families.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of single-parent families throughout the territory and the total number of children they had, in each of the past three years; if so, of the figures; among the requests for assistance handled by IFSCs in the past three years, of the number and percentage of those involving single-parent families;

(2) of the support needed by the single-parent families seeking assistance from IFSCs, and the services IFSCs provide to them;

(3) of the support provided by IFSCs to children from single-parent families who have emotional problems;

(4) whether it reviewed in the past three years the adequacy of the support services currently provided to single-parent families and the appropriateness of the relevant arrangements; if so, of the outcome;

(5) given that SWD plans to set up, within this financial year, a specialised co-parenting support centre to be operated by NGOs in each cluster, namely Hong Kong Island, Kowloon East, Kowloon West, New Territories East and New Territories West, which will be dedicated to providing services for divorced parents and their children, of the timetable for setting up such centres and the details of the services to be provided by them; and

(6) whether it will consider resuming the subvention to NGOs for opening SPCs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     My consolidated reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:

(1) According to the results of the 2011 Population Census and the 2016 Population By-census, the number of single parents and the number of children aged under 18 of single parents in Hong Kong are as follows:
 

	2011 (Note 1)	2016 (Note 1)
Number of single parents	81 705	73 428
Number of children aged under 18 of single parents	103 937	93 943

Note 1: Information from “Hong Kong 2016 Population By-census Thematic Report: Single Parents” by Census and Statistics Department, with the number of single parents and number of children aged under 18 of single parents tabulated in Table 8.1 and Table 8.2 of the Thematic Report.

     The number of cases involving single-parent families handled by the Integrated Family Service Centres (IFSCs) of the Social Welfare Department (SWD), and the percentage of such cases in the total number of cases in the past three years are tabulated below:
 

Year (Note 2)	Cases involving single-parent families	Percentage of such cases in the total number of cases
2015-16	4 312	17.59 per cent
2016-17	4 134	17.15 per cent
2017-18	4 260	17.07 per cent

Note 2: The figures for 2015-16 and 2016-17 were the numbers of cases as at March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2017, whereas the figure for 2017-18 was the number of cases as at December 31, 2017.

(2) and (3) The support required by single-parent families includes enhancing parenting skills, strengthening parent-child relationship, handling children’s emotional problems as well as providing mental health education for parents and their children.

     The IFSCs are concerned about the service needs of single-parent families and, through early identification and intervention, provide timely support to enhance their positive functioning. The support services provided by the IFSCs for single-parent families are as follows:

Integrated family services

     The IFSCs provide a spectrum of preventive, supportive and remedial welfare services for individuals and families in need (including single-parent families and single-parent children with emotional problems). These services include family life education, parent-child activities, enquiry services, volunteer training, outreaching service, groups and programmes, intensive counselling, financial assistance and referral services. To address the needs of single-parent families, the IFSCs organise groups and programmes specially designed for them (such as mutual help groups and talks), and provide them with appropriate services (including training on how to achieve effective parenting, handle children’s emotional problems, and face life challenges positively).

     Besides, if the children concerned suffer from emotional problems, the IFSCs’ social workers will provide appropriate support based on their condition, including intensive counselling on emotion. If the children are assessed by social workers as having the need to receive clinical psychological service, social workers will make referrals so as to enable the children in need to receive appropriate psychological counselling service.

Family support programme

     The SWD, through the IFSCs and related service units, provides more in-depth support and outreaching service by proactively contacting and serving the hard-to-reach individuals or families in need, such as those prone to the problems of domestic violence, mental illness and social isolation but unwilling to seek assistance (including single-parent families).

(4) and (6) In the past three years, the SWD did not conduct any review on the support services for single-parent families. Nevertheless, the SWD commissioned the University of Hong Kong at an earlier time to conduct a consultancy study on the review of family services. The scope of the review included the support services for single-parent families. During the review, the consultant team met the service users of Single Parent Centres (SPCs) to collect their views.

     As pointed out in the review report, small-scale and independently run centres (including the five SPCs that the SWD ceased to provide subvention in 2004) might not be cost-effective in service delivery since their services and use of resources were somewhat fragmented and overlapping. Furthermore, the locations of these SPCs might not be easily accessible to the majority of service users. All in all, the consultant team recommended an integrated mode for delivering family services under the guiding principles of “accessibility”, “early identification”, “integration” and “partnership”. The IFSCs operated by the SWD or subvented non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which adopt a community-based concept in the provision of traditional family services, and extend their service hours through pooling of resources, could provide more effective and convenient support services for families in need (including single-parent families) as compared to those independently run SPCs. 

     Therefore, the SWD has no plans to reopen the SPCs. However, the SWD will continue to provide integrated services through the IFSC service mode for single parents/single-parent families, including, apart from the provision of SPCs’ services, the provision of those services that are not available in the SPCs (such as intensive counselling and the arrangement of clinical psychological counselling).

(5) The SWD plans to set up five co-parenting support centres to be  operated by NGOs in the fourth quarter of 2018 at the earliest to render services to separated/divorced parents and their children, including co-parenting counselling, parenting co-ordination service, structured parenting groups or programmes, child-focused counselling/groups or programmes, as well as children contact service. The services concerned are currently in the planning stage, with details to be finalised. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, in the Legislative Council today (May 23):

Question:

     It has been reported that some human trafficking offenders arranged bogus marriages for to-be-trafficked persons to enable them to meet the eligibility requirements for entry into certain countries, and then force the trafficked persons to take up illegal employment or engage in prostitution activities in such countries. Regarding bogus marriage-related offences involving human trafficking, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective numbers of persons who were alleged to have entered into bogus marriages and, on this account, were (i) arrested and (ii) convicted in Hong Kong for the related offences in each year since 2008, with a breakdown by their nationality and gender;

(2) of the respective numbers of persons who were alleged to have arranged bogus marriages for other persons and, on this account, were (i) arrested and (ii) convicted in Hong Kong for the related offences in each year since 2008, with a breakdown by their nationality and gender; the nationalities of the persons for whom they mainly arranged bogus marriages;

(3) as the authorities have pointed out in a paper submitted recently to the Panel on Security of this Council that in respect of persons who had gained entry into Hong Kong by means of bogus marriages, the main purpose of their coming to Hong Kong was to take up illegal employment, among the persons who were arrested or convicted for bogus marriage-related offences mentioned in (1), of the respective numbers of those who were alleged to have also (i) committed the offence of taking up illegal employment, and (ii) engaged in prostitution activities, with a breakdown by their nationality and gender; whether the authorities have, during investigation of these cases, discovered if (a) these persons were forced to work in Hong Kong and were subjected to manipulation, and (b) organised crimes or human trafficking were/was involved in such cases;

(4) given that paragraph 18 of the Prosecution Code of the Department of Justice (DoJ) provides guidelines and pointers to prosecutors in respect of offences relating to the exploitation of persons and the trafficking of them for that purpose, of the number of times for which DoJ handled cases pursuant to this code when instituting prosecutions in the past five years; among such cases, of the number of those which involved bogus marriage-related offences; and

(5) of the authorities’ measures to combat bogus marriage-related offences involving human trafficking, and to prevent such crimes from happening in Hong Kong?

Reply:

President,

     The Government has always been concerned about “bogus marriages”. The Immigration Department (ImmD) set up a special task force in 2006 to step up enforcement actions to combat such offences to prevent persons seeking entry into Hong Kong by means of “bogus marriages” and intermediaries aiding others to seek entry into Hong Kong through such means. When suspected “bogus marriage” cases are identified, ImmD will conduct in-depth investigations on parties alleged to arrange and participate in “bogus marriages”, collect evidence and initiate prosecution.

     The reply to the questions raised by the Hon Leung is as follows:

(1) and (2) From 2008 to 2017, ImmD investigated a total of 6 971 suspected cases of “bogus marriage”. A total of 10 649 persons were arrested, out of which 1 733 persons were successfully prosecuted and convicted. Relevant statistics breakdown by year is as follows: 
 

Year	Number of cases	Number of arrestees	Number of persons successfully prosecuted
2008	874	908	259
2009	1 033	728	180
2010	1 283	1 504	185
2011	605	1 242	263
2012	432	1 059	240
2013	515	1 102	188
2014	687	1 096	122
2015	461	1 016	113
2016	507	979	98
2017	574	1 015	85
Total	6 971	10 649	1 733

 
     Among the 10 649 persons arrested, 277 were arrested for allegedly arranging “bogus marriages” for others or participating in “bogus marriages” at the same time, the remaining 10 372 were alleged to have participated in “bogus marriages”. Among the above 1 733 persons successfully convicted, 985 were male and 748 were female; 1 280 were Hong Kong residents and 453 were non-Hong Kong residents. Persons successfully convicted mentioned above include intermediaries and parties to “bogus marriages”. ImmD does not maintain other statistical breakdown mentioned in the question. As seen from past cases, “bogus marriages” involved both local and non-local residents, and the non-local residents involved mostly Mainland residents.

(3) ImmD does not maintain the figures of persons who were arrested or convicted for offences relating to “bogus marriage” and were alleged to have committed the offence of taking up illegal employment or engaging in prostitution activities at the same time. ImmD so far has not identified any “bogus marriage” case involving trafficking in persons (TIP). If there is any information (including the statements of parties concerned) which indicates that human trafficking offence may be involved in such a case, ImmD will investigate on the case in accordance with the established mechanism.

(4) According to information provided by the Department of Justice (DoJ), where there is a claim that a defendant or intended defendant is a victim of human trafficking, or that a case may involve human exploitation/ TIP elements, the law enforcement agencies will draw the prosecutor’s attention to such claims or elements. In appropriate cases, the prosecutor may also draw the law enforcement agencies’ attention to such claims or elements in the files submitted for legal advice. 

     In making a prosecutorial decision, a prosecutor would assess the merits of each claim with a high level of sensitivity, understanding and awareness of the human exploitation/TIP considerations in accordance with paragraph 18 of the Prosecution Code. As all prosecutors are expected to give due consideration to such claims or elements in each case as appropriate, the DoJ has not specifically maintained statistics on the number of cases in which paragraph 18 of the Prosecution Code has been considered.

(5) As mentioned in part 3 of this reply, ImmD so far has not identified any “bogus marriage” case involving TIP. Having said that, ImmD will remain vigilant in monitoring the parties concerned to see if they are involved in other crimes while combatting “bogus marriages”. When suspected TIP cases are identified, ImmD will take a series of measures with related law enforcement agencies to enhance victim identification, protection and support, investigation as well as enforcement on the crimes involving TIP.

     In fact, the Government has always attached great importance to anti-TIP work, responding to this evolving international issue through targeted and multi-pronged measures (which are now under continuous review and updating) in areas including victim identification, law enforcement, prosecution, victim protection, enhancement in staff training and forming partnership with international and local and overseas stakeholders. 

     At present, our legislation has provided an adequate and solid legal framework to effectively combat TIP crimes. Although Hong Kong does not have a single legislation prohibiting TIP and the Palermo Protocol has not been applied here, the legislation of Hong Kong has already covered the conduct of TIP as defined in the Palermo Protocol, mainly including the following six aspects:

(i) Crimes Ordinance (Cap 200) prohibits TIP to or from Hong Kong for the purpose of prostitution; harbouring another person or exercising control or direction over another person for the purpose of that person’s prostitution or that that person shall do unlawful sexual acts with others; and any other person from procuring another person to become a prostitute or cause prostitution of that person in Hong Kong or elsewhere. It also prohibits other crimes including rape, procuring another person by threats to do unlawful sexual acts with others and criminal intimidation. Moreover, there are provisions under the Crimes Ordinance that provide extra-territorial effect against certain sexual offences committed against children outside Hong Kong, including related arrangements and advertisements, making them punishable in Hong Kong;

(ii) Human Organ Transplant Ordinance (Cap 465) prohibits commercial dealings in human organs;

(iii) Prevention of Child Pornography Ordinance (Cap 579) prohibits printing, making, producing, reproducing, copying, importing or exporting, publishing and possessing child pornography;

(iv) Immigration Ordinance (Cap 115) prohibits arrangement for an unauthorised entrant to Hong Kong and employing illegal workers;

(v) Employment Ordinance (Cap 57) imposes criminal liability on employers involved in non-payment, under-payment of wages or delay in payment of wages, failure to grant rest days and statutory holidays to employees; and

(vi) other relevant ordinances which prohibit such crimes as assault, forcible taking or detention of persons with intent to sell him or her, child abduction, deception and blackmail, etc.

     The most serious penalty for certain offences above is life imprisonment. 

     The Government established a high-level Steering Committee to Tackle TIP and to Enhance Protection of Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong (Steering Committee), chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, in March 2018 to tackle TIP and enhance protection of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) working in Hong Kong through a multi-pronged approach. The Steering Committee has endorsed a comprehensive “Action Plan to Tackle TIP and to Enhance Protection of FDHs in Hong Kong” (Action Plan), which outlines a package of multi-faceted measures that are comprehensive, strategic and targeted, and which cover victim identification, protection and support, investigation, enforcement, prosecution and prevention as well as partnership with different stakeholders. 

     In addition to the ongoing measures, the Action Plan will include several major new initiatives, including appointing dedicated teams or officers in the relevant law enforcement agencies, such as Hong Kong Police Force, ImmD and the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, to handle cases relating to TIP and exploitation of FDHs. The Steering Committee will monitor the full implementation of the Action Plan and ensure the provision of adequate resources to the relevant bureaux and departments for the effective implementation of the Action Plan.

     When implementing the Action Plan, the Government will work closely with the civil society, other sectors of the community and other governments; run targeted awareness campaigns via a wide range of suitable channels, including websites, social media, posters, leaflets, etc. to raise public awareness of TIP and exploitation of FDHs, and to promote available victim protection services. The Government will also review the implementation of the Action Plan from time to time and identify further initiatives as and when necessary. read more

     The Home Affairs Department will open 15 temporary night heat shelters tonight (May 23) for people in need of the service.
      
     The shelters will be open from 10.30pm until 8am tomorrow.
      
     For further information, please call the department’s enquiry hotline before midnight on 2835 1473.
      
     The 15 temporary night heat shelters are located at:
      
Hong Kong Districts:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex,
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern/Wan Chai –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices,
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai read more