Hong Kong has denied entry to approximately 23,000 individuals in the first nine months of the year, according to the Director of Immigration, Benson Kwok. He mentioned that 85 percent of these individuals were considered to have “suspicious aims” for entering the city. This amounts to 0.07 percent of all arrivals from January to September, which is consistent with previous levels.
Kwok emphasized that Hong Kong welcomes genuine visitors, but it is essential to protect the country’s southern gate. The Immigration Department has established a “watch list” of unwelcomed individuals who are deemed to pose a risk to national security or the social order of Hong Kong. However, residents are not included in this watch list.
A new system called the Advance Passenger Information System has been implemented, requiring airlines to provide passenger data to the Immigration Department before take-off. This system collects information such as the passengers’ full name, birthday, gender, and nationality. If the system indicates a “no-board” direction, airlines are instructed to prevent the passenger from boarding the flight.
Although cases of entry denials involving activists or journalists have been on the rise since the enactment of Beijing’s national security law in 2020, such incidents are not publicized by the authorities. Among those denied entry this year were Japanese activist Uryu Hirano and a representative for free expression NGO Reporters Without Borders, Aleksandra Bielakowska.
In a separate statement, Kwok mentioned that Hong Kong saw a significant increase in arrivals from mainland China during the National Day holiday. The city logged 980,000 arrivals from mainland China between October 1st and Saturday, representing a 35 percent increase compared to the same period last year. More than 220,000 mainland Chinese visitors traveled to Hong Kong on National Day itself.
Despite the influx of visitors, all checkpoints operated smoothly. Kwok estimated that the total number of passengers entering and leaving the city this year could reach 300 million, close to the pre-pandemic figure in 2019. Hong Kong lifted Covid-related travel restrictions last February, allowing for a higher number of passengers compared to last year.
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