The Labour Department (LD) is investigating a fatal work accident that happened in Tung Chung this afternoon (November 10) in which a man died. The LD immediately deployed staff to the scene upon receivi… read more
The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will depart for the United States tomorrow night (November 11) to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting and other related events held in San Francisco November 12 and 13. He will also attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and other related events on behalf of the Chief Executive from November 15 to 17.
The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, will depart for San Francisco in the early morning on November 14 to attend the Ministerial Meeting and related events from November 14 to 16.
On the sidelines of the meetings, Mr Chan will also have bilateral meetings with officials of other economies to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. He will also visit enterprises and meet with the local business community.
With the theme “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All”, this year’s APEC focuses on three priorities: (i) being interconnected – building a resilient and interconnected region that advances broad-based economic prosperity; (ii) being innovative – enabling an innovative environment for a sustainable future; and (iii) being inclusive – affirming an equitable and inclusive future for all.
Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong in the morning of November 19. In his absence, the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, will be the Acting Financial Secretary. Mr Yau will return to Hong Kong on November 18. In his absence, the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development. read more
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (November 10) reported the latest number of dengue fever (DF) cases, and urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel.
From November 3 to yesterday (November 9), the CHP recorded three imported DF cases. The patients had been to Thailand during the incubation periods.
As of yesterday, 46 imported cases of DF had been recorded in 2023. In 2022, 26 imported cases of DF were recorded.
The latest surveillance data shows that there is an increase in DF cases noted in some places in Asia (such as Bangladesh, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand) compared to the same period last year. Members of the public, while travelling abroad, should stay vigilant and carry out effective mosquito prevention and control measures. Detailed information on the latest DF situation in Hong Kong, as well as neighbouring and overseas countries and areas, has been uploaded to the CHP’s website (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/df_imported_cases_and_overseas_figures_eng.pdf).
“Apart from general measures, travellers returning from areas affected by DF should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. If feeling unwell, seek medical advice promptly and provide travel details to the doctor,” a spokesman for the CHP said.
The public should take heed of the following advice on mosquito control:
The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed “Greenlane”, “Twilight” and a joint operation with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed “Windsand” for three consecutive days from November 7 to yesterday (November 9). A total of six suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers were arrested.
During the anti-illegal worker operations, ImmD Task Force officers raided 13 target locations including industrial buildings, residential buildings, restaurants and a shopping mall. Five suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised three men and two women, aged 29 to 53. Among them, one woman was a holder of a recognisance form, which prohibits her from taking any employment. In addition, one man was also suspected of using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card. Two men, aged 41 and 57, were suspected of employing the illegal workers.
In addition, during operation “Windsand”, one male Mainland visitor, aged 52, was arrested for breaching his condition of stay by being involved in suspected parallel goods trading at San Wan Road in Sheung Shui district. The goods mainly included health care products and cosmetic products.
An ImmD spokesman said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her 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.”
The spokesman warned, “As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is 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. 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 upon conviction face 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. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. 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. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an 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 ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats 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 intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (November 10) said that three new confirmed melioidosis infection cases had been recorded from October 14 to November 10. &… read more