Tougher measures proposed for overstayers with jobs and employers of illegal workers as Hong Kong government seeks to deter economic migrants
- Security Bureau suggests raising maximum penalty for hirers from three years in prison to 10
- Overstayers caught working could face a three-year jail term, up from the current two
The Security Bureau wants tougher penalties for employers that hire illegal workers as it seeks to deter economic migrants from coming to Hong Kong.
On Thursday, authorities proposed that the maximum penalty for employing illegal workers be raised from three years in prison to 10 years under a proposed amendment to the Immigration Ordinance. The maximum fine would also increase by almost 43 per cent, to HK$500,000 (US$64,100).
Visitors overstaying and caught working, either paid or unpaid, would also face a harsher charge, of taking unlawful employment, which carries a three-year jail term.
Presently, overstayers caught working illegally can only be jailed for a maximum of two years for breaching their conditions of stay.
The proposal was one of the measures the government rolled out to address an influx of economic migrants seeking jobs in the city, where less than 1 per cent of applicants claiming refugee status had their humanitarian case substantiated.
“To further reduce the economic incentives for potential non-refoulement claimants to come to Hong Kong, and to strengthen our efforts in combating the offence of employing persons who are not lawfully employable, we are considering amending the relevant provisions to increase the penalties,” the paper, submitted to the Legislative Council by the bureau, read.
Non-refoulement is the principle of not sending someone to a place where they may be persecuted.