ENG-2018 — Page 356

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Population and Immigration

Illegal Immigration

The HKSAR keeps a close watch on illegal immigration and liaises closely with the Mainland and overseas governments on population movements and irregular migration. In 2018, the city arrested 555 Mainland illegal immigrants and 639 non-ethnic-Chinese illegal immigrants.

Personal Documentation

Travel Documents

The department issues HKSAR electronic passports (HKSAR e-Passports), embedded with a contactless integrated chip containing the holder's personal data and facial image in accordance with the standards specified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The department strictly controls the issue of HKSAR passports, granting them only to Hong Kong permanent residents who are Chinese citizens with the right of abode in the HKSAR holding valid Hong Kong permanent identity cards.

Eligible applicants aged 11 or above may submit HKSAR passport applications in person, by post, through drop-in boxes, via self-service kiosks or round the clock on the GovHK website. Eligible applicants living overseas may submit their applications through the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular missions. Those residing on the Mainland may submit their HKSAR passport replacement applications and then collect their passports at the Immigration Divisions of the Beijing Office and the four Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangdong and Wuhan. In 2018, the department received 705,853 HKSAR passport applications, including 8,052 from overseas and 2,673 from the Mainland.

The HKSAR Passports Appeal Board handles appeals against decisions about the issue, validity period, amendment or cancellation of a passport. It received 13 appeals in 2018.

The department lobbies for greater travel convenience. In 2018, four countries along the Belt and Road, namely Belarus, Bolivia, Antigua and Barbuda and Myanmar, agreed to grant visa-free access or visa-on-arrival access to HKSAR passport holders, bringing the number of countries and territories offering such access to 163.

Other travel documents issued by the department include the Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (Doc/l) and the Re-entry Permit (REP). The Doc/l is issued for international travel to Hong Kong residents who are not eligible for the HKSAR passport and are unable to obtain a passport or travel document of any other country or territory. The REP is issued to eligible Hong Kong residents to travel to the Mainland and Macao. In 2018, 53,779 Doc/ls and 88,900 REPs were issued.

Identity Cards

The department issues identity cards to Hong Kong residents. There are two types: the Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card for residents who have the right of abode in Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Identity Card for residents who do not have that right.

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