Hong Kong authorities mull pre-boarding checks in asylum seekers’ home countries
Security Bureau also suggests boosting capacity in migrant detention facilities
The government will consider pre-boarding airport checks in the home countries of Hong Kong’s growing number of asylum seekers to stem the flow of migrants.
In Wednesday’s policy address Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying pledged to review the current system for dealing with claims for refugee status and asylum.
In a paper submitted by the Security Bureau to the Legislative Council on Thursday, the bureau suggested measures to strengthen pre-arrival controls to curb the climbing number of claimants.
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This included “introducing pre-boarding checks at the airports of major source countries to deter arrival of economic migrants”. There was no elaboration.
Countries like Australia, the UK and Canada hire airline liaison officers to work abroad at key overseas international airports.
Officers work closely with airlines and security groups in host countries to detect and prevent smugglers as well as passengers from travelling on suspicious purposes or on fraudulent documents.
Their duties include checking travellers with documents at the gate before boarding - which is the last port of call before reaching their destinations. Suspicious passengers are off-loaded and referred to law enforcement agencies for further examination.
It is unsure if Hong Kong will follow suit, but a government source said authorities do not rule out any possibilities.