HONG KONG — Fifteen people were arrested in a four-day crackdown on suspected illegal employment across Hong Kong, with officers raiding restaurants, apartments under renovation and massage parlors.
The operations, conducted Nov. 9-12, resulted in the arrests of 12 suspected illegal workers, one suspected employer and two people suspected of overstaying their permitted stay.
The suspected workers were two men and 10 women, ages 31 to 58. One man held a recognizance form prohibiting him from working. Two women were suspected of using and possessing forged Hong Kong identity cards.
A 43-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of employing illegal workers. The two suspected overstayers were women ages 42 and 46.
The raids included joint operations by immigration officers and police. Investigations into suspected employers remained underway, and further arrests were possible.
Visitors are prohibited from taking paid or unpaid work without immigration permission. Violating a condition of stay carries a maximum penalty of a HK$50,000 fine and two years in prison.
People who work while overstaying or while subject to certain other immigration restrictions face up to three years in prison and a HK$50,000 fine. Using or possessing a forged identity card, or one belonging to another person, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and a HK$100,000 fine.
Employers who hire people barred from working under immigration law can face up to 10 years in prison and a HK$500,000 fine. Company directors, managers and other officers may also bear criminal liability.
Employers must take practical steps to verify a prospective employee’s eligibility to work, including checking identification and, when required, valid travel documents.
People arrested during immigration operations undergo initial screening for signs of human trafficking or forced labor. Those identified as victims may receive medical care, counseling, emergency assistance and temporary accommodation.
