Illegal pre-lunar new year renovation works lead to 29 arrests

All save one of the illegal workers arrested were from the Mainland

A total of 29 people, mostly suspected illegal workers, were arrested in an Immigration Department operation that targeted renovation works in the run-up to the Lunar New Year.

The arrested persons included 26 suspected illegal workers comprising 26 men, aged 20 to 57.

Two men and one woman, aged 44 to 56, were also arrested on suspicion of employing the workers in renovation works at two newly built public housing estates.

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At a news briefing held on Tuesday, an Immigration officer said the illegal workers comprised 25 who entered Hong Kong claiming to be mainland tourists, and one who had come from Indonesia. The employers were all local people.

Immigration said the campaign was launched last week in anticipation of a rash in renovation works at private homes in keeping with Lunar New Year tradition.

Immigration Deputy Commander Siu Ka-fai said that many people prefer to hire illegal workers for renovation and cleaning services to save on costs.

Basahin ang detalye!

But he said that while the cost was an important consideration, it is equally important to ensure that the hired workers can be legally employed.

Siu also warned that those who employ people who are not lawfully employable face even more severe penalties for violating the law.

Apart from the arrests, Immigration officers also distributed leaflets and deployed a promotional vehicle warning of severe consequences for those who employ illegal workers.

Under Hong Kong laws, all visitors in Hong Kong are not allowed to take up any job, whether paid or unpaid. Those found flouting this law face a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $50,000.

The maximum prison term goes up to three years if the illegal worker is also an overstayer, an asylum seeker or an illegal immigrant.

Employers of illegal workers face a more severe penalty of up to ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000. In addition, an immediate custodial sentence is imposed on such employers in line with sentencing guidelines laid down by the High Court.

Asylum seeker jailed 16 weeks for overstaying

Immigration Department filed the complaint

More than four years of overstaying has sent a Filipino asylum-seeker to jail for 16 weeks.

Ronnie Turla, 49 years old, pleaded guilty last Tuesday (Dec. 31) at Shatin Court to a complaint of the Immigration Department that he breached his condition of stay, in violation of section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance.

The penalty was handed down by Magistrate Andrew Mok.

Under the said section of the Ordinance, any person who is found to have contravened a condition of stay imposed by Immigration shall face a maximum sentence of a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for two years. 

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Turla arrived in Hong Kong as a tourist in February 2014 and was allowed to stay for two weeks by an Immigration officer.

However, he failed to leave as required by his condition of stay, until his arrest on Aug. 28, 2018.

Turla has since claimed the right to non-refoulement – or protection from being sent back to his country of origin if he meets internationally-accepted conditions -- and was given a recognizance form to serve as his identification document.

Basahin ang detalye!

It is not uncommon for overstayers to file for non-refoulement to avoid being sent back home after serving their sentence for violating their visa condition.

A non-refoulement claim is submitted to the Immigration Department and, if denied, the applicant can appeal the decision to the Torture Claims Adjudication Board. If it is upheld, the applicant may go to the High Court and apply for leave to file for judicial review. The final option is to file an appeal if leave is denied.

27 persons arrested in latest anti-illegal work operations

 

Immigration agents lead away some of  the men arrested during the 4-day sweep

Another 27 individuals, 20 of them suspected illegal workers, have been arrested in the latest anti-illegal work operations of the Immigration Department and HK Police.

The rest included three overstayers and four suspected employers.

Raids carried out from Dec 2 to 5, and targeting  over 260 locations across Hong Kong, led to the arrests.

PINDUTIN DITO

In the first wave of arrests on 18 premises, including massage parlours and restaurants, nine suspected illegal workers and two employers were arrested.

The workers comprised four men and five women, aged 25 to 62, one of whom was found in possession of a forged HK ID card. One man aged 44 and a woman aged 45 were also arrested on suspicion of being their employers.

In a separate operation, 244 target locations in Central and New Territories North were targeted. Eleven suspected illegal workers, two suspected employers and three overstayers were arrested.

Basahin ang detalye!

The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised seven men and four women, aged 28 to 62. One man and one woman, aged 41 and 68, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested.

Two overstayers, a male aged 26 and a female aged 36 were also detained.

Immigration repeated the warning that illegal work is a serious offence in Hong Kong, which carries the maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and $50,000 fine. The jail term can go up to three years if the arrested person is an overstayer, illegal immigrant or asylum seeker.

Those found in possession of fake HKID cards can be sentenced to up to 10 years in jail, and fined $100,000.

Employers of illegal workers face the most severe penalty of up to $500,000 in fine, and 10 years in prison.

FDHs warned against illegal work as 10 people arrested in Immigration raids

 

Immigration agents lead away one of 5 suspected illegal workers arrested yesterday

Ten people, two of them foreign domestic helpers and three overstayers, were arrested in a day-long  anti-illegal work operation yesterday by  Immigration Department agents.

The five others were suspected employers.

The operation yesterday was carried out across the territory, and targeted 15 locations, including restaurants, employment agencies, retail shops and industrial buildings.

Basahin ang detalye!

The arrested workers were all women, aged 39 to 59. They were found to have worked as dishwasher, waitress, clerical worker and delivery staff. A copy of a forged Hong Kong identity card was also found during the operation.

The five suspected employers, meanwhile, comprised four men and one woman, aged 39 to 62.

A statement issued by Immigration said  the case is still under investigation, and did not rule out further arrests.

2 more illegal workers are taken away for questioning

The statement warned: "A helper should only perform domestic duties for the employer specified in the contract. The helper should not take up any other employment, including part-time domestic duties, with any other person. The employer should not require or allow the helper to carry out any work for any other person,"  

Illegal work is a serious offence, for which a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and $50,000 fine is prescribed. The jail term could go up to three years if the illegal worker is an overstayer, illegal immigrant, or asylum seeker.

Those found to have used a forged HKID card to obtain work could face up to 10 years in prison and $100,000 fine. Making false representation to Immigration or possessing a false instrument is even more serious, as it could result in imprisonment for up to 14 years and a fine of $150,000.

Employers of illegal workers face a maximum fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment. Merely failing to check the identity document of a job applicant properly could result in a fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for one year.

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