The ​Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced today (September 29) that in relation to a request-for-assistance case involving a Hong Kong resident who has completed a sentence in the Philippines, the Hong Kong resident concerned has returned to Hong Kong today as accompanied by officers from the Immigration Department (ImmD). This was made possible with the strong support of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the HKSAR (OCMFA), the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines (the Embassy), the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the ImmD (AHU) and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore.
      
     The HKSAR Government has always attached great importance to cases involving Hong Kong residents detained or imprisoned overseas. It attaches great importance to the legal rights of these Hong Kong residents and is committed to providing assistance to them. Upon the ImmD's receipt of the request-for-assistance from the family of that Hong Kong resident in 2003, the HKSAR Government has maintained close contact with the OCMFA and the Embassy, and has made every effort to provide practicable assistance to the Hong Kong resident and his family concerned. The Embassy also attached great importance to the case, arranging officials to pay visits to the Hong Kong resident concerned during his sentence, and actively approaching the local judicial authorities to follow up on the situation.
      
     Upon learning that the Hong Kong resident concerned had completed his sentence in the Philippines, the ImmD and the Embassy actively liaised with relevant Filipino authorities to follow up and immediately issued him with the document for returning to Hong Kong to expedite the overall repatriation procedure. The AHU also sent officers to the Philippines to co-ordinate the relevant repatriation arrangements with the Embassy and the Filipino authorities. Accompanied by the ImmD's officers, the Hong Kong resident concerned has already returned to Hong Kong safely today. Under the ImmD's arrangement, he reunited with his family at the Hong Kong airport upon arrival in Hong Kong and expressed gratitude to the Embassy and the HKSAR Government for their years of assistance, which enabled his prompt return to Hong Kong to reunite with his family after being released. His family was delighted with the family reunion and thanked the HKSAR Government and the ImmD for maintaining close contact with them regarding the situation of the Hong Kong resident concerned, and for providing proactive responses to their assistance requests.
      
     The HKSAR Government expressed gratitude to the OCMFA and the Embassy for their support and assistance in facilitating the prompt return of the Hong Kong resident concerned following his release, which resulted in a prompt and smooth repatriation arrangement. The ImmD will continue to follow up on the case and provide practicable assistance to the Hong Kong resident concerned.

Ends/Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Issued at HKT 20:15

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