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56 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations  
     In the joint operation with the Home Affairs Department and the Labour Department, Immd investigators raided multiple locations, including targeted guesthouses in Yau Tsim Mong District. Seven persons were arrested including six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer. The arrested illegal workers comprised two men and four women, aged 29 to 51. Three of them were current foreign domestic helpers, who were found performing room cleaning duties in the guesthouses. A woman aged 75 was suspected of employing illegal workers and was the person-in-charge of the guesthouses. The remaining three illegal workers were illegal odd job workers including two men holding recognisance forms which prohibit them from taking any employment in Hong Kong and an overstayed former foreign domestic helper.
 
     During other anti-illegal worker operations, investigators raided multiple target locations including restaurants, cleaning companies and flats under renovation. Thirty-seven suspected illegal workers and 12 suspected employers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised 35 men and two women, aged 26 to 56. Among them, a man was holding recognisance form which prohibits him from taking any employment in Hong Kong. Nine men and three women, aged 33 to 61, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.
 
     An ImmD spokesman said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Moreover, after entry into the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, an imported worker admitted on an employment condition must remain under the direct employment of the same employer for the specified job and in the specific workplace(s) as stipulated in the Standard Employment Contract and cannot be employed by other companies or subcontractors. Change of the employer, post or place of work (unless stipulated in the Standard Employment Contract) is not permitted. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.”
 
     The spokesman warned, “As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. As stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance, the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant, prohibiting the immigrant from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter if the immigrant has been found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years. Under the prevailing laws, it is an offence to use or possess a forged identity card or an identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.”
 
     The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
 
     According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
 
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
 
     For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hkIssued at HKT 18:45

Testing and Certification Manpower Development Award Scheme 2025-26 commends outstanding awardees  
     The Chairman of the HKCTC, Professor Wong Wing-tak, highlighted that talent was a vital asset for the sustainable development of the industry. The Award Scheme fully demonstrated the industry’s commitment to nurturing talent and showcased the rich pool of talent in the T&C industry. The success of the industry depended on the participation and collaboration of its practitioners to build a better society.
 
     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, spoke highly of the T&C industry’s contributions to Hong Kong’s economy and innovation and technology development. He said that the professional integrity of the T&C industry has forged the prestigious brand of “Tested in Hong Kong, Certified in Hong Kong”. It plays a key role in supporting the development of Hong Kong’s trade, industrial, and other service sectors. He said he hopes the industry will continue to contribute its professional expertise to the development of Hong Kong and the country. 
     Applications received for the two categories of awards were respectively assessed (including conducting interviews with applicants for the Professional Award) by two independent Assessment Panels, which comprised members from academia, public bodies and industrial associations, to decide on the awardees. The lists of awardees are available on HKCTC website (www.hkctc.gov.hk/en/events-promotion/award-scheme2526Issued at HKT 17:10

Applications open for HKO public course on weather observation (with photo)     ​
     The course consists of lectures and weather observation practices, which will be conducted by experienced meteorological personnel from the HKO. The content includes basic weather observation techniques and methods, such as cloud observation and classification. Speakers will also introduce various weather phenomena and hazards and explain how to interpret weather charts and proverbs, as well as the application of weather observation in weather forecasting. The course aims to enhance participants’ understanding of weather and equip them to respond appropriately to changing weather conditions.

     In addition, speakers will introduce the use of weather information on the “MyObservatory” mobile app and the HKO website and explain how to share weather information through the Community Weather Observing SchemeIssued at HKT 15:00

Crowd management measures and special traffic arrangements for Mong Kok Flower Market Road area 
     The following roads will be closed, except for vehicles with a permit:
 
– Flower Market Road;
– Yuen Ngai Street;
– Yuen Po Street; and
– The service road of Prince Edward Road West between Sai Yee Street and Yuen Po Street.
 
     Depending on the traffic and crowd conditions, the following roads may be closed:- Fa Yuen Street between the service road of Prince Edward Road West and Boundary Street;
– Playing Field Road between Tung Choi Street and Sai Yee Street; and
– The service road of Prince Edward Road West between Nathan Road and Sai Yee Street. 
     The parking spaces on the following roads will be suspended:
 
– The metered parking spaces on Fa Yuen Street between the service road of Prince Edward Road West and Boundary Street;
– The metered parking spaces on Tung Choi Street between the service road of Prince Edward Road West and Boundary Street;
– The metered parking spaces on Playing Field Road between Tung Choi Street and Sai Yee Street;
– The motorcycle parking spaces on Tung Choi Street near Playing Field Road;
– The motorcycle parking spaces on Playing Field Road between Fa Yuen Street and Tung Choi Street;
– The motorcycle parking spaces under the Prince Edward Road West flyover between Tung Choi Street and Sai Yee Street;
– The disabled parking spaces on Fa Yuen Street near Boundary Street; and
– The disabled parking spaces on Playing Field Road near Tung Choi Street.Issued at HKT 18:06

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FEHD releases first batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in February