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The Immigration Department yesterday (August 24) arrested 12 illegal workers and 15 people suspected of employing them during a series of anti-illegal worker joint operations codenamed "Powerplayer", "Sahara" and "Rainbow".
The joint enforcement operation "Powerplayer", mounted by the Immigration Department Task Force, the Police Force and the Labour Department, began at 8.30am and ended at 7.18pm yesterday. During the operation, enforcement officers raided 17 workplaces in the Kowloon East Region, including a logistics company, market stalls, a recycling store, residential units under renovation, a hair salon and a motor service centre. During the operation, four illegal workers and three employers were arrested. The illegal workers comprised four men, aged between 36 and 53. One man was a holder of a recognisance form, which prohibits employment. Two men and one woman, whose ages ranged from 35 to 41, were suspected of employing the illegal workers.
Operation "Sahara", mounted by the Immigration Department Task Force, the Police Force and the Labour Department, began at 4pm and ended at 11.30pm yesterday. During the operation, enforcement officers raided 27 workplaces in the Kowloon West Region comprising restaurants, retail shops and guest houses. Three illegal workers and four employers were arrested. The illegal workers comprised three women, aged between 29 and 34. Among them, one woman was a holder of recognisance form, which prohibits employment. Three women and one man, whose ages ranged from 32 to 64, were suspected of employing the illegal workers.
Another joint enforcement operation, "Rainbow", mounted by the Immigration Department General Investigation Section and the Labour Department began at 9.30am and ended at 5pm yesterday. During the operation, enforcement officers raided eight target locations in Causeway Bay, Hung Hom and Lai Chi Kok districts including retailers, a fast food shop and clothes stall. Five illegal workers and eight employers were arrested. The illegal workers comprised five women, aged between 23 and 39. Four men and four women, whose ages ranged from 35 to 59, were suspected of employing the illegal workers.
"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 also warned that it is an offence for illegal immigrants or people who are the subject of a removal order or a deportation order to take any employment or to establish or join in any business. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has issued a guideline ruling that a sentence of 15 months' imprisonment should be applied in such cases. The court also revealed that from 2006 to 2009, illegal immigrants and many overstayers lodged torture claims only after they had been arrested for taking up employment, raising suspicion over the veracity of their claims. A deterrent sentence ensures that illegal immigration will become less attractive with the risk of a long jail term.
The spokesman appealed to employers not to employ illegal workers, warning that it is 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 or 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 is a serious offence to employ someone who is not legally employable, and stating that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
Ends/Thursday, August 25, 2011
Issued at HKT 16:45
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