Hong Kong is expanding recruitment of immigration personnel to meet with the expected increase of entries of visitors into Hong Kong from mainland China, thanks to the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL).
This development was revealed by Principal Immigration Officer Henry Wong Kin-man to the Philippine Consulate General on the occasion of graduation of 267 new recruits to the Hong Kong Immigration Department (HKID) on 9 November 2018 at the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development (ISITD) in Castle Peak Bay in Tune Mun District.
The Passing-out Parade – as the ceremony is called in Hong Kong – which was attended by Consul General Antonio A. Morales and Consul Roderico C. Atienza, was presided by Hong Kong Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu, who credited immigration personal for the success of the recent commissioning of the two megastructures across the borders.
In his speech in Cantonese, Mr Lee mentioned the role of Hong Kong in the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Bay Area, and the need for foreign nationals to continue enjoying visa-free access to the territory through key new infrastructure projects, including the HZMB and XRL.
Parade Commander, Mr Wong Fu-fai, Acting Chief Immigration Officer, directed 86 Probationary Immigration Officers and 181 Immigration Assistants in the hour-long ceremonies.
The new graduates underwent a 14-week induction course overseen by ISITD Commandant Mr Cheung Ting-ki, including classroom lectures, foot drills, tactical, physical and team training, and exposure to social services, to join the ranks of current 8,000 officers and personnel of the Immigration Department.
The Immigration Department serves as gatekeepers to Hong Kong by combatting illegal employment and immigration offenses in the territory and collaborating with overseas, Mainland and local law enforcement agencies to jointly combat crimes such as illegal migration, bogus marriages, and document fraud.
The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong holds quarterly technical working group meetings with the Immigration and Labour Departments to resolve pending issues, review individual cases, and identify and sort out potential problem areas in policies affecting the more than 228,000 Filipinos living in Hong Kong.
In order to express its appreciation and to maintain its good relationship, the Philippine Consulate attends the passing-out parades for various relevant branches of the Hong Kong civil service, including the Correctional Services Department, Customs and Excise Department and the Police Force.
Forming part of China’s 16,000-km high-speed rail network, the 26-km Hong Kong section of the XRL, opened on 26 September 2018 with the aim of reducing travel time, for example, to Beijing to 10 hours and Shanghai to 8 hours.
The 55-km HZMB, which aims to further enhance the economic development of Hong Kong, Macao and the western Pearl River Delta region, opened on 26 October 2018.
In addition, Hong Kong plans to open a seventh border crossing to mainland China soon: Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point.
