Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Director of Immigration, Mr Benson Kwok, held a press conference today (February 13) to review the work of the Immigration Department (ImmD) over the past year and look ahead to the future. The following is a summary of the ImmD’s major activities in 2025 and its outlook:

Stay committed to its mission and safeguard national security 
(B) Winning the 2025 Skytrax Award for Best Airport Immigration Service
 
     In 2025, the ImmD won the Skytrax Award for Best Airport Immigration Service for the fifth time in the World Passenger Survey commissioned by Skytrax, an international specialist research agent of the air transport industry. The survey, covering about 600 airports worldwide, collected ratings from over 13 million air passengers of more than 100 countries on the immigration service of various airports. The ImmD will continue to strive for excellence by leveraging innovative technologies to introduce more facilitation measures for visitors and deliver higher-quality immigration services. 
Trawl for talent to enhance Hong Kong as an international hub for talent
 
     Adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC Central Committee), the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization supports Hong Kong’s position to become an international hub for high-calibre talent. Also, as announced in the Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address, Hong Kong Talent Engage will strengthen its efforts in talent attraction and support, with a view to attracting more talent to pursue development in Hong Kong. In support of the HKSAR Government’s proactive measures to attract and retain talent, the ImmD continues to implement various enhanced talent admission schemes. In January 2025, the ImmD further stepped up its electronic services for visa applications by allowing applicants to complete the entire application process through the ImmD mobile application, the ImmD’s website or the GovHK website, without having to visit an Immigration office in person. For details of the numbers of applications for visas/entry permits/extension of stay received and approved under various admission schemes/policies, please refer to the Annex.
 
(A) Enhancing talent admission schemes 
(B) Launching the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Invited Persons
 
     The HKSAR Government launched the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Invited Persons in March 2025 to provide more convenient immigration arrangements for invited persons from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, in order to promote economic and trade exchanges and cultural co-operation between Hong Kong and ASEAN. Under the Scheme, relevant bureaux/departments will actively invite ASEAN nationals who can make considerable contributions to Hong Kong’s economic development, or those who have been invited to attend important events in Hong Kong to enjoy immigration facilitation. The ImmD will process the applications from these invited persons through a one-stop electronic platform, relax the application criteria for self-service immigration clearance, and simplify the information required for visa applications.
 
(C) Relaxing visa arrangements for nationals of the Belt and Road countries
 
     To reinforce Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the ImmD has relaxed the visa arrangements in respect of various Belt and Road countries. Since January 2025, the visa-free period for nationals of Saudi Arabia to visit Hong Kong for travel has been extended from 30 days to 90 days. Moreover, starting from September 2025, the ImmD relaxed the criteria for nationals of four Central Asian countries (namely Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) applying for multiple-entry visas to Hong Kong for business and travel purposes, with a view to promoting economic and trade as well as tourism development between Hong Kong and Central Asia.
 
Be people-oriented and improve livelihoods in pursuit of happiness 
(1) Assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress outside Hong Kong 
Enforce law stringently and secure social stability 
     The ImmD has been sparing no effort in combating illegal employment to safeguard job opportunities for the local workforce. The Security Bureau established the Inter-departmental Task Force against Illegal Employment (Task Force) in September 2025 to step up efforts in combating illegal employment. As a member of the Task Force, the ImmD has fully supported its work in enhancing interdepartmental collaboration on various fronts by formulating overall response strategies against illegal employment, strengthening intelligence collection and intelligence exchanges with the Mainland, enforcing the laws rigorously, leveraging technology, and co-ordinating relevant publicity and education efforts, with a view to combating illegal employment through a multipronged approach.
 
(1) Rigorous law enforcement
 
     In 2025, the ImmD conducted a total of 19 980 operations against illegal employment activities, representing an increase of about 12 per cent when compared with that of 2024. During these operations, the ImmD arrested 3 708 illegal workers and 569 local employers altogether. In particular, a total of 396 non-ethnic Chinese illegal workers and 164 locals who employed them were arrested during the enforcement operations against non-ethnic Chinese illegal workers. During the year, the majority of the convicted illegal workers were sentenced to imprisonment with terms ranging from six days to 22 months and two weeks, whereas most of the convicted employers were sentenced to imprisonment or fines with terms ranging from six weeks to six months and fines ranging from $5,000 to $60,000. In response to lawbreakers who, through online platforms, offer cross-boundary “point-to-point” services and arrange for illegal workers to work in Hong Kong in a relatively discreet manner, the ImmD has conducted constant targeted cyber patrols and taken intelligence-led enforcement actions such as decoy operations. If Mainland online platforms are involved, the ImmD will exchange intelligence with the Mainland authorities and urge them to arrange with the relevant platforms for taking appropriate follow-up actions, such as removing the posts involved. In 2025, the ImmD conducted 28 decoy operations, leading to the arrest of a total of 33 persons, including 30 illegal workers and three persons who aided and abetted others to take up illegal employment. These illegal workers were suspected of coming to Hong Kong to provide photography, make-up, tour guide and cross-boundary purchase services.
 
(2) Stepping up publicity and education
 
     The ImmD has been conducting publicity and education through various channels, including holding press conferences, distributing promotional leaflets, and arranging seminars for different organisations and consulates in order to raise public awareness of the criminal liability for employing illegal workers. In November 2025, the ImmD held a themed seminar for over 180 newly arrived Indonesian domestic helpers at the invitation of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong, explaining the relevant provisions of the Immigration Ordinance and reminding foreign domestic helpers not to take up any illegal employment. The ImmD has also actively disseminated the latest enforcement results of anti-illegal worker operations through its official social media accounts.
 
(3) Strengthening intelligence collection
 
     Effective intelligence collection and enhanced intelligence analysis are crucial in combating illegal employment. The ImmD has established multiple reporting channels, including a telephone hotline, and an email and online reporting platform for members of the public to report related offences. In September 2025, the ImmD launched the Dedicated Hotline for Reporting Illegal Workers (3861 5000), and provided a new reporting function on WeChat and the “iAM Smart” mobile application to encourage the public to actively report illegal employment related crimes and work together to combat unlawful acts.
 
(B) Detection of bogus marriages
 
     The ImmD has set up a special task force to carry out enforcement actions against non-Hong Kong residents obtaining residency by means of contracting bogus marriages with Hong Kong residents. In 2025, a total of 39 persons were convicted of bogus marriage-related offences and sentenced to imprisonment ranging from nine to 22 months. In November 2025, the ImmD mounted a cross-boundary joint operation codenamed “Flashspear 2025” with the immigration authorities of Guangdong Province, neutralising a cross-boundary bogus marriage syndicate. The mastermind and three core members of the syndicate, as well as eight Mainlanders suspected to have contracted bogus marriages, were arrested in Hong Kong and Guangdong. The syndicate was found to have arranged more than 60 bogus marriages between 2023 and 2024, involving transactions amounting to over $7.5 million.
 
(C) Strengthening counter-terrorism preparedness, combating illegal transnational migration and document fraud
 
     The ImmD Officers intercepted suspicious persons at immigration control points in the light of terrorist threat assessments and actual circumstances, and kept visitors in suspected association with terrorist activities under surveillance to prevent such persons from attempting to enter Hong Kong. In 2025, the ImmD conducted a total of 13 853 related inspection operations at various immigration control points with 22 207 passengers intercepted for enquiries. To enhance its preparedness and response capabilities for emergencies and terrorist attacks, the ImmD participated in a large-scale interdepartmental counter-terrorism exercise codenamed “BRAVELIGHT” at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in August 2025. The exercise aimed to test and enhance the co-ordination and response capabilities of various departments in dealing with terrorism-related as well as riot-related intelligence and responses to different forms of terrorist attacks. Moreover, the ImmD has been working with different law enforcement agencies to combat illegal transnational migration, with the focus on investigations into document fraud, in order to prevent anyone from entering Hong Kong or travelling to other countries or territories via Hong Kong with forged travel documents. In 2025, the ImmD’s Anti-Illegal Migration Agency conducted a total of 30 567 operations against forgery activities, including joint operations with overseas and local law enforcement agencies against illegal transnational migration. A total of 21 064 passengers were intercepted for enquiries.
 
(D) Handling non-refoulement claims
 
(1) Combating the illegal entry of non-ethnic Chinese 
 
      The ImmD has commenced dedicated operations with the Mainland and local law enforcement agencies since 2016 in order to take sustained enforcement action against illegal immigration activities of non-ethnic Chinese. The number of interceptions plummeted by 91 per cent from the peak of 364 in October 2023 to a monthly average of 32 in 2025. The ImmD will continue to step up intelligence exchanges with enforcement agencies on the Mainland and in Macao to further combat illegal immigration precisely.
 
(2) Screening with high efficiency
 
     The ImmD continued to speed up the screening of non-refoulement claims with flexible staff deployments and optimised workflows. In 2025, the ImmD determined over 2 500 non-refoulement claims. As at the end of last year, there were about 650 claims pending screening by the ImmD. Under the unified screening mechanism, over 95 per cent of the claimants rejected by the ImmD lodged appeals against the decisions. As at the end of 2025, there were about 300 claimants who had lodged appeals pending decision by the Torture Claims Appeal Board/Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office.
 
(3) Better management of detainees
 
     The ImmD continued to strengthen the management of detainees, including those pending removal and non-refoulement claimants. In 2025, the number of new detainees to the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre (CIC) was 6 572, representing a rise of about 10 per cent from 5 952 in 2024. The CIC has commenced work on a CCTV surveillance system enhancement, with the introduction of a Video Analytic Monitoring System that leverages AI to perform real-time analysis of CCTV footage. In addition to the CIC, the HKSAR Government included the Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution and the Nei Kwu Correctional Institution (NKCI) as places of detention of the ImmD in 2021 and 2023 respectively, thereby increasing the number of detention places for detaining non-refoulement claimants to three. Following the completion of the NKCI’s in-situ expansion in early April 2025, the overall detention capacity was increased to 940. The ImmD will remain committed to making good use of the detention facilities to detain claimants who pose higher risks to the security of the community.
 
(4) Enhancing efficiency of removing unsubstantiated claimants
 
     The ImmD has been committed to promptly removing unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong to safeguard the public interest. In 2025, the ImmD removed 2 613 unsubstantiated claimants from Hong Kong, representing a rise of 18 per cent when compared with that in 2024. To enhance removal efforts, the ImmD carried out an in-flight escort repatriation operation codenamed “Expel” on November 6, 2025. For the first time, the ImmD arranged a special chartered flight from Hong Kong to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport for unsubstantiated claimants, with an onward transfer to Pakistan aboard a commercial flight. This resulted in the successful forced removal of six Pakistani unsubstantiated claimants to their home country in a single operation. The ImmD will continue to explore different feasible solutions to expedite the repatriation of unsubstantiated claimants. Meanwhile, it will also co-ordinate with relevant authorities to optimise repatriation routes while actively maintaining close liaison with governments, airline companies and other government departments of major source countries of the claimants, with a view to removing unsubstantiated claimants from Hong Kong as soon as practicable through all appropriate measures.
         
Strengthen the corps and promote patriotism   
(3) Oil painting exhibition commemorating 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance 
      The Immigration Department Youth Leaders Corps (IDYL) provides systematic and regular disciplinary and leadership training with the aim of nurturing its members to become pillars of society who love the country and Hong Kong. As the end of 2025, a total of over 1 300 students participated in the IDYL. In May 2025, the IDYL held the Grand Parade and Promotion Ceremony, where members themselves took on roles such as Parade Commander, members of the Flag Party and Master of Ceremony for the first time. The Guard of Honour also performed a silent foot drill together with the parade. During the year, the IDYL organised a total of five exchange programmes to the Mainland with different themes, including trips to Hainan, Heilongjiang, Sichuan, Chaoshan in Guangdong and the Greater Bay Area. These exchange programmes facilitated members’ exchanges with Mainland youths, thereby deepening their understanding of the country’s development.
  
Vision for 2026
 
Utilise technologies to enhance service standards 
     The ImmD will establish Hong Kong’s first “contactless clearance” pilot checkpoint at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port, which enables people’s identity verification through facial recognition technology, thereby achieving unimpeded immigration clearance. The “contactless clearance” pilot scheme is anticipated for launch in the second quarter of 2026, with the initial phase proposed to be open for enrolment by eligible Hong Kong residents who frequently use the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port. Details will be announced in due course.
 
(2) Enhancement of immigration clearance service at control points
 
     To align with the trend towards self-service clearance and meet long-term service demands, the ImmD will introduce a series of enhancement measures on the e-Channel service at HKIA. Starting from the first quarter of 2026, a total of 26 new additional e-Channels will be installed gradually at the arrival hall, and the existing 26 e-Channels will be replaced progressively. At the same time, the eligibility criteria for frequent visitors to enrol for the e-Channel service will be relaxed, from having visited Hong Kong via HKIA for no fewer than three times in the past 12 months at present, to no fewer than two times in the past 24 months. The ImmD and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) will extend the applicable age of the Flight Token e-Channel service to 7 years old or above from the second quarter of 2026 onwards to benefit more departing eligible Hong Kong residents and visitors. Furthermore, the first phase of the enhancement works at Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point was completed in September 2025, increasing the number of e-Channels to 18 both at the arrival and departure halls. The ImmD is planning for the next phase of alteration works to further increase the number of e-Channels, with a view to enhancing the clearance capacity of the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point.
 
(3) Enhancement of immigration clearance arrangements for pleasure vessels
 
     One of the convenient measures promoted by the HKSAR government to develop the yacht economy is the enhancement of the electronic business system of the Marine Department (MD), which allows visiting yachts to submit arrival information in advance through a one-stop service. The ImmD is working with the MD on the proposal to conduct preliminary vetting of the information of the crew and passengers of visiting yachts by using the system, thereby shortening the time for immigration clearance. Meanwhile, the ImmD is actively reviewing the immigration arrangements for crew and passengers of pleasure vessels and will carry out internal system upgrades to optimise the workflow.
 
(B) Upgrading the infrastructure of boundary control points
 
(1) Redevelopment of Huanggang Port 
(2) Redevelopment of Sha Tau Kok Control Point
 
     To enhance clearance efficiency, the HKSAR Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government have reached a consensus in 2024 on adopting a cross-river construction approach in the redevelopment of the Sha Tau Kok (STK) Control Point. Accordingly, the two sides will concurrently construct the passenger clearance building straddling the STK River and will take the centre line of the river as the boundary line to set up their respective passenger clearance channels immediately adjacent to each other. The redeveloped STK Control Point will become a passenger clearance-only control point, with the cargo clearance function cancelled, in order to facilitate the implementation of the “East in East out, West in West out” planning strategy for cross-boundary goods traffic. It will also implement the “collaborative inspection and joint clearance” mode to enhance passenger clearance experience and efficiency. The HKSAR Government completed in December 2025 the engineering feasibility study for the STK Control Point redevelopment project, and published in the gazette the relevant land resumption proposal with a view to initiating the land resumption process. The ImmD will continue to collaborate with relevant bureaux and departments to actively take forward the redevelopment project.
 
(3) Immigration facilitation measures for the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone
 
     To dovetail with the development of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, the “Western Cross-River Link Bridge Project” connecting the two parks in Hong Kong and Shenzhen commenced in December 2025, effectively facilitating the frequent day-to-day cross-boundary flow of I&T personnel. Regarding immigration clearance, to enable the cross-boundary movement of I&T personnel, the ImmD will actively explore the adoption of innovative and convenient clearance modes. The target is to enable pre-verified individuals to enjoy a contactless clearance experience through the use of facial recognition technology.
 
(4) Airport Terminal 2
 
     With the full commissioning of the Three-Runway System (3RS) of HKIA in 2024, the airport capacity has been substantially enhanced. Terminal 2 under the 3RS project will be opened in phases based on passenger traffic demand, with its departure facilities set to commence operation in 2026. The ImmD will maintain close communication with the AAHK and other relevant departments to ensure the smooth running of clearance facilities.
 
(C) Leading with technology to enhance services  
(2) Expanding the service scope of the personal documentation kiosks
 
     Personal Documentation Submission Kiosks and Personal Documentation Collection Kiosks are provided at the Immigration Headquarters for eligible persons to apply for identity card replacements in a self-service manner and submit their HKSAR passport applications in one go, without having to make any appointments. The services have gained popularity among the public, earning the ImmD’s Self-application Services Team recognition in The Ombudsman’s Awards 2025 for Teams of Public Organisations – a newly introduced award that recognises excellence in enhancing the quality of public services. The ImmD plans to expand the service scope of the personal documentation kiosks in phases starting from the first half of 2026 by processing applications for replacement of identity cards and HKSAR passports due to loss, adjusting the eligible age for use and introducing services such as replacement and collection of Documents of Identity for Visa Purposes, among others, so that more Hong Kong residents may enjoy the convenience brought by the personal documentation kiosks. Relevant details will be announced in due course.
 
(3) Stepping up efforts to combat immigration-related technology and cybercrimes  
(D) Enhancing arrangements for extension of stay applications in respect of various talent admission schemes
 
     With effect from March 1, 2026, persons permitted to work or reside in Hong Kong under the GEP, ASMTP, TechTAS, Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, QMAS, and Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, as well as their dependants, may submit early applications for an extension of stay within three months prior to the expiry of their limit of stay. The arrangement is applicable to the Top Talent Pass Scheme since November 1, 2024. The new arrangement allows applicants under various talent admission schemes more time to prepare for and submit their extension of stay applications, thereby further facilitating their stay in Hong Kong for development.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (February 13) the Hong Kong’s trade in services (TIS) statistics for 2024, with detailed breakdowns by service component and by main destination/source.

Comparing 2024 with 2023, the value of total exports of services rose by 9.9% to $835.5 billion, and that of total imports of services increased by 12.9% to $698.1 billion. An invisible trade surplus at $137.4 billion, equivalent to 19.7% of the value of total imports of services, was recorded in 2024. This was smaller than the corresponding surplus of $141.6 billion in 2023, equivalent to 22.9% of the value of total imports of services in 2023.

Analysis by service component

Analysed by service component, transport was the largest component in exports of services, accounting for 32.0% of the value of total exports of services in 2024. This was followed by financial services (25.9%) and travel (21.0%).

As for imports of services, travel accounted for 31.9% of the value of total imports of services in 2024, followed by transport (22.1%) and other business services (15.1%).

Amongst various service components, the net exports of financial services contributed most significantly to the overall invisible trade surplus, at $145.8 billion in 2024. This was followed by transport ($112.6 billion) and other business services ($14.4 billion). 

On the other hand, manufacturing services imported by Hong Kong in outward processing were substantial, resulting in a deficit of $89.3 billion in 2024. This was followed by travel ($47.5 billion) and charges for the use of intellectual property ($7.2 billion).

Analysis by main destination/source 

Chinese Mainland and the United States of America (the USA) were the top two main destinations of exports of services of Hong Kong, accounting for 28.6% and 18.2% respectively of the value of total exports of services in 2024. They were followed by the United Kingdom (the UK) (9.1%), Singapore (5.4%) and Taiwan (4.5%).

Chinese Mainland and the USA were also the top two main sources of imports of services, accounting for 40.8% and 10.9% respectively of the value of total imports of services in 2024. They were followed by Japan (7.8%), the UK (7.5%) and Singapore (4.9%).

Analysed by region, Asia was the most important destination of the exports of services of Hong Kong, accounting for 52.8% of the value of total exports of services in 2024, followed by North America (20.2%) and Western Europe (20.0%).

For imports of services, Asia was also the most important source, accounting for 66.8% of the value of total imports of services in 2024, followed by Western Europe (15.8%) and North America (12.5%).

Further information

Table 1 presents exports, imports and net exports of services by service component in 2023 and 2024.

Table 2 presents exports of services by main destination and imports of services by main source in 2023 and 2024. 

Table 3 presents exports, imports and net exports of services by region of destination/source in 2023 and 2024. 

More detailed TIS statistics will be given in the report “Hong Kong Trade in Services Statistics in 2024”. Users can browse and download this report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020011&scode=240) as from end-February 2026.

The TIS statistics have incorporated the latest international recommendations given in the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010. For details, please refer to the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode240.html). They are compiled mainly based on data obtained from the Annual Survey of Imports and Exports of Services conducted by the C&SD, supplemented by data from other relevant sources. The TIS statistics for 2024 are subject to minor revision when more data from supplementary sources become available.

For enquiries about TIS statistics, please contact the Trade in Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7415; email: tis@censtatd.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) published today (February 13) the conclusions of a public consultation on enhancements to the Banking Ordinance. 

The consultation set out the enhancement proposals on the regulation of bank holding companies, the engagement of skilled persons, and a range of technical amendments to the Banking Ordinance and other banking-related legislation. The proposed enhancements aimed to increase regulatory clarity and effectiveness while reducing compliance burden. Respondents generally expressed support for the proposed enhancements. The consultation feedback and the HKMA’s responses are provided in the conclusions paper.

The HKMA will continue to work on the related legislative amendments, with a view to introducing an amendment bill into the Legislative Council in 2026.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region