PH Consulate General Bolsters Ties with HK Immigration Department
Consul General in Hong Kong Antonio A. Morales (4th from left) poses with Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu (center), at the Passing-out Parade of 267 new Immigration Assistants on 09 November 2018 at the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development, Castle Peak Bay in Tune Mun District. Also in the photo are South Africa Consul General Harris Madoda Ntshinga (rightmost) and Kassam Sati Dunshik, Immigration Attaché from the Nigeria Consulate General. (Hong Kong PCG photo)
HONG KONG 29 November 2018 — Hong Kong is expanding the recruitment of immigration personnel to meet 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 in Hong Kong during the graduation of 267 new recruits to the Hong Kong Immigration Department (HKID) on 09 November 2018 at the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development (ISITD) in Castle Peak Bay, Tune Mun District.
The Passing-out Parade, 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.
The Consulate General 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 with Hong Kong authorities, 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.
In his speech in Cantonese, Mr. Lee mentioned the role of Hong Kong in the Belt and Road Initiative, 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.
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. END
For more information, visit www.hongkongpcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinHK/