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The Immigration Department, Police Force and the Labour Department on February 6 and 7 arrested 15 illegal workers and seven people suspected of employing them during a series of anti-illegal worker operations mounted at Lunar New Year Fairs at various districts.
Operation "Champion" mounted yesterday (February 6). Enforcement officers raided three target locations in Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair. In the operation, four illegal workers and two employers were arrested. The illegal workers comprised two men and two women aged between 16 and 31. Two women, aged 35 to 43, who were suspected to have employed the illegal workers, were also arrested for enquiries.
Enforcement officers raided target locations at seven Lunar New Year Fairs today (February 7) including Victoria Park, Mong Kok Flower Market, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong, Sha Tin, Kwai Chung and Tsuen Wan, and arrested 11 illegal workers and five employers. The illegal workers comprised seven men and four women aged between 18 and 49. Five women, whose ages ranged from 34 to 56, were suspected of employing the illegal workers.
All the illegal workers were detained for questioning. The operations are still in progress.
"Visitors are not allowed to take up employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment," an Immigration Department spokesman said.
The spokesman appealed to employers not to employ illegal workers, warning that it was an offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is a fine of $350,000 and imprisonment for three years. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's identity card or, if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card, his/her valid travel document. The maximum penalty for failing to do so is a fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for one year. To deter unlawful employment, the High Court laid down sentencing guidelines in 2004 reaffirming that it was a serious offence to employ someone who was not legally employable, and stating that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. The Immigration Department will continue to take enforcement actions with related law enforcement departments against the offences concerned.
Ends/Thursday, February 7, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:20
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