The Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council, Mrs Regina Ip, officiated at the passing-out parade at the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development today (September 11) to review 211 officers on parade, including 63 Immigration Officers and 148 Immigration Assistants.
 
     During the parade, the Immigration Band played multiple pieces of Chinese military band music, patriotic songs and pop classics, whereas the Guard of Honour assembled to form the logo of the Skytrax Award to celebrate the Immigration Department (ImmD)'s winning of the 2025 Skytrax Award for the Best Airport Immigration Service, demonstrating the ImmD's determination to become the foremost immigration service in the world in effectiveness and efficiency.
 
     In her speech, Mrs Ip recalled that she had taken up the post of Director of Immigration 28 years ago amidst Hong Kong's return to the motherland. In the face of unknowns and obstacles, staff of the ImmD remained committed to their duties and rose to the challenges with professionalism, leading to the completion of numerous tasks and eventually a smooth transition. She noted that the ImmD has grown from a team of around 5 000 back then to be close to 9 000 today, making it one of the key law enforcement agencies in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Furthermore, the work of the ImmD has become increasingly diverse. In addition to providing services to members of the public at different stages of life, the ImmD has also been actively implementing various admission schemes to attract talent and providing assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress outside Hong Kong, among others. She said she believes that the ImmD would continue to keep pace with the times and strive for excellence, while leveraging innovative technologies to further enhance its work efficiency and service standards, so as to better cater for the development of society and the needs of the public.
 
     She also remarked that, as Hong Kong's "first line of defence", the ImmD has an important role to play in safeguarding national security and social stability. Immigration officers should follow through a holistic approach to national security and support the work of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR. They should also proactively identify suspicious individuals and avert risks endangering national security. 
 
     Finally, Mrs Ip encouraged the graduates to always uphold the ImmD's values of "Patriotism and Perseverance" as well as "Improvement and Illumination", and be mindful of the constitutional duty embodied in the epaulettes on their uniforms. She was confident that the graduates would contribute to the country and society in the days to come, creating a bright future for both themselves and their families.

Ends/Thursday, September 11, 2025
Issued at HKT 20:57

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