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The Government welcomed the report released by the US State Department which recognised Hong Kong's efforts in combating human trafficking.

A Government spokesman today (June 12) said," We are pleased that Hong Kong is again placed in Tier 1, along with 25 other places including France, Germany and the U.K. The report recognises that Hong Kong fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and that effective measures have been put in place to tackle migrant smuggling.

"Over the years, we have contained the problem of illegal immigration as evidenced by the significant drop in the number of illegal immigrants intercepted, from a daily average of 100 in 1993 to some 15 in 2002.

"Hong Kong is not a destination for human trafficking. Nor is it a place of origin for exporting illegal migrants. We disagree that Hong Kong is a point of transit and destination for persons trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labour. But we will continue to be vigilant and work closely with the relevant authorities to prevent such activities.

"We will continue to cooperate with our law enforcement partners in the region and overseas. The Government will also continue to allocate sufficient resources to support this important area of work," he added.

End/Thursday, June 12, 2003

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