Immigration officers are watching 82 people they believe to be helping mainland women come to Hong Kong to give birth.
As debate rages over how the city should address the influx of pregnant mainlanders, the Immigration Department says it is monitoring further suspects after securing a court conviction against a 41-year-old mainland woman. The woman had helped as many as 18 pregnant women cross the border, and hers was the second such conviction in five weeks. She was sentenced to nine weeks in jail.
Wong Yin-sang, principal immigration officer (enforcement), says the department has identified 58 mainlanders and 24 Hongkongers believed to have helped pregnant mainlanders cross the border.
'We are now closely monitoring their movement and once we have sufficient evidence, we will initiate prosecutions,' he said.
Su Biya, a 41-year-old from Guangdong, admitted breaching her conditions of stay by helping two pregnant women from the mainland give birth in the city in September and December 2010. Sha Tin Court heard that she arranged medical checks, accommodation and interpretation services for the women.
The two women had made appointments at Union Hospital in Tai Wai and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei for obstetrics services.
Su was intercepted trying to cross the border at Lok Ma Chau again on February 28 and subsequently arrested.