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Public Order
1,380 illegal workers were arrested, the vast majority being visitors who had breached their conditions of stay.
Illegal workers are fined and/or jailed before being sent back to their places of origin. Their employers are also liable to be prosecuted.
Deportation and Removal
The department processes deportation and removal orders. During the year, 330 people convicted of offences punishable with imprisonment of not less than two years were recommended for deportation and 320 were deported, meaning they are prohibited from returning. Another 500 were removed from Hong Kong, comprising 181 illegal immigrants, 293 people who had breached their conditions of stay and 26 people who were refused entry.
Investigation and Prosecution
The department lays charges concerning immigration offences, including remaining illegally in Hong Kong, breaching conditions of stay, making false statements or representations, and using or possessing forged travel documents. Illegal immigrants or persons subject to removal or deportation orders are prohibited under section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance from taking employment, whether paid or unpaid.
Combating Trafficking in Persons
The department launched a victim screening mechanism in 2015 to combat trafficking in persons and set up a new section in 2019 which is mainly responsible for checking all visa applications by foreign domestic helpers to identify as early as possible potential victims of trafficking and exploitation, and conducting investigation of related immigration offences. Identified victims are referred to relevant departments to receive protection and support according to their individual situations, such as urgent intervention, medical services, counselling and shelter.
Independent Commission Against Corruption
Hong Kong prides itself as a city with a clean civil service, a level playing field for doing business and a society with zero tolerance towards corruption. Hong Kong's anti-corruption efforts were recognised by international studies released in 2020, including the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index and Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.
Established in 1974, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) safeguards Hong Kong's deep-rooted culture of probity through stringent law enforcement, systemic prevention and community education. Its independence is enshrined in the Basic Law, and its operation is sustained by the government's strong commitment to weed out corruption.
According to the 2020 ICAC Annual Survey, 93.2 per cent of respondents expressed support for the commission. On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 representing total rejection of corruption and 10 representing total acceptance, a mean score of 0.4 was registered. In addition, 98.4 per cent said they had not personally encountered corruption in the past 12 months.
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