ENG-2019 — Page 348

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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 2019, the city arrested 284 Mainland illegal immigrants and 859 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 Next Generation HKSAR e-Passport, with enhanced security features, has been issued since 14 May 2019. 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 may submit HKSAR passport applications in person, by post, through drop-in boxes, via self-service Travel Document Submission Kiosks or round-the-clock on the GovHK website and the Immigration Department Mobile Application. Eligible applicants living overseas may submit their applications through the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular missions. Those living 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 Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangdong and Wuhan. In 2019, the department received 723,798 HKSAR passport applications, including 8,118 from overseas and 2,458 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 five appeals in 2019.

The department lobbies for greater travel convenience. In 2019, three countries along the Belt and Road, Armenia, Iran and Panama, agreed to grant visa-free access to HKSAR passport holders, bringing the number of countries and territories offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 166.

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. During the year, 59,782 Doc/ls and 84,254 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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