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Arrest of immigration offenders
Immigration investigators conducted an operation at a beancurd workshop in Yuen Long today (Friday) and arrested six Chinese and two Filipino nationals who are suspected to have breached their conditions of stay in Hong Kong.
The five two-way permit visitors and an imported worker from China, all men, aged between 26 and 56, are suspected to have taken up unapproved employment at the workshop.
The Filipino couple, both 39, are on employment status as domestic helpers. They are also suspected to be employed at the same workshop.
A Hong Kong resident who is the owner of the workshop is assisting with investigation.
A spokesman for the Immigration Department reminds that visitors are not allowed to take up any employment, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission from the Director of Immigration.
Imported workers are admitted only for a specific job with a specified
employer.
As for foreign domestic helpers, they should only take up domestic duties for their contract employers and are not permitted to work part-time or engage in non-domestic duties.
Those who breach their conditions of stay will be prosecuted and on conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for two years.
People including employers who aid and abet others to commit these offences are also liable to prosecution and penalty.
Last year, the Immigration Department investigated 666 cases involving imported workers, 2,339 foreign domestic helpers and 5,528 Chinese two-way permit holders.
"The increasing number of illegal workers in 1994 has been a matter of
concern.