n the Legislative Council (LegCo) on November 29, the Secretary for Security, Mr. Tang Ping-keung reported the number of cases of prosecuted illegal workers and employers. The report was based on the inquiries raised by Hon Stanley Ng.
Mr. Tang said that the Government is committed to combatting illegal employment, to protect job opportunities for local workers.
Hon Stanley Ho asked the respective numbers of illegal workers and employers of illegal workers prosecuted in each of the past five years and this year to date, as well as the penalties imposed by the court on the convicted persons, and the number of crackdown operations conducted by the Government against illegal workers in each of the past five years and this year to date.
Reporting to the LegCo, Mr. Tang mentioned that according to the record of the Immigration Department (ImmD), the number of illegal workers prosecuted and the number of employers of illegal workers prosecuted are tabulated below:
| Year | Number of illegal workers prosecuted | Number of employers of illegal workers prosecuted |
| 2018 | 1 341 | 283 |
| 2019 | 1 157 | 246 |
| 2020 | 615 | 164 |
| 2021 | 815 | 185 |
| 2022 | 539 | 138 |
| 2023 (January – October) | 747 | 95 |
On his report, the Secretary for Security explained from 2018 to the end of October this year, illegal workers and employers of illegal workers who were convicted had been sentenced to imprisonment or fine. In terms of imprisonment period, illegal workers were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 10 days to 40 months, whereas employers of illegal workers were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from seven days to nine months. In terms of fines, illegal workers were fined ranging from $1,000 to $30,000, whereas employers of illegal workers were fined ranging from $1,000 to $400,000.
Added on the report, based on ImmD’s record, the number of anti-illegal worker operations (including joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force (Police)) is tabulated below:
Table 1
| Year | Number of operations |
| 2018 | 16 108 |
| 2019 | 14 147 |
| 2020 | 13 612 |
| 2021 | 16 132 |
| 2022 | 15 759 |
| 2023 (January to October) | 14 628 |
| Total | 90 386 |
Whereas, according to the Police’s record, the number of anti-illegal worker operations by the Police is tabulated below:
| Year | Number of operations [Note] |
| 2018 | 171 |
| 2019 | 89 |
| 2020 | 36 |
| 2021 | 163 |
| 2022 | 130 |
| 2023 (January to October) | 124 |
| Total | 713 |
The Secretary for Security ended his report by saying that the Government will continue to closely monitor the situation of illegal employment, and timely conduct necessary enforcement operations, with a view to safeguarding the stability of the local employment market and protecting workers’ rights.
