Regarding "searches"
Dear Immigration Department,
I am writing to make an information access request regarding “searches” conducted by the Immigration Department as mentioned in Appendix 13 of the Annual Reports. May I know,
A) What is the nature of these searches?
B) What type of searches are they?
C) Where are they conducted?
D) Who are the searches conducted by?
E) Who is being searched?
Thank you for your help with this inquiry.
Yours faithfully,
H. Y. Fung
Our ref. : IL/00805525/21, L/M (1) in ImmD ORS/6-5/2 (C) Pt.4
Dear H. Y. Fung,
Our department has received your application for access to information on
23 December 2021. Your application is now under processing. According to
paragraph 1.16 of the Code on Access to Information, our department will
inform you of the latest progress of the case separately on or before 12
January 2022. In the meantime, please contact the undersigned via this
email if you have any enquiry.
Best Regards,
TSE Chung-hong
for Director of Immigration
To learn more about the application requirements and procedures of the
most frequently used services provided by the Hong Kong Immigration
Department, you are welcome to visit the Easy Access Playlist at Hong Kong
Immigration Department [1]YouTube Channel. The concerned video clips have
Cantonese voice-over supplemented by Chinese or English subtitles.
Our ref. : IL/00025899/22, L/M (1) in ImmD ORS/6-5/2 (C) Pt.4
Dear H. Y. Fung,
I refer to your application for access to information submitted on 23
December 2021 and our interim reply on 31 December 2021.
The “Search” statistics in Appendix 13 of the Immigration Department
Annual Report refer to the number of searches of persons and premises
conducted by immigration officers of the Enforcement Branch during their
course of duty, to which they are legally empowered to do so. The
purposes of conducting body search on a person are as follows:
(a) search for documents to establish the bona fides of visit;
(b) search for documents or identity papers for establishing his / her
true identity;
(c) search for any weapons or articles with which the person may damage
property or evidence, injure himself or other persons, or any implement
with which the person may effect an escape;
(d) search for evidence for subsequent prosecution/repatriation; and/or
(e) other purpose as appropriate.
Searches of persons will be conducted in an area offering reasonable
privacy.
I hope the information is useful to you.
Best Regards,
TSE Chung-hong
for Director of Immigration
To learn more about the application requirements and procedures of the
most frequently used services provided by the Hong Kong Immigration
Department, you are welcome to visit the Easy Access Playlist at Hong Kong
Immigration Department [1]YouTube Channel. The concerned video clips have
Cantonese voice-over supplemented by Chinese or English subtitles.
Dear Immigration Department,
Thank you for your response and explanation. I would like to clarify:
1) Do the searches listed in Appendix 13 of the Annual Reports include searches conducted within immigration detention facilities such as Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre?
2) Do these "body searches" include a) strip searches and b) cavity searches?
Yours faithfully,
H. Y. Fung
Our Reference: L/M (1) in ImmD ORS/6-5/2 (C) Pt.4
Dear H. Y. Fung,
Our department has received your application for access to information on
13 January 2022. Your application is now under processing. According to
paragraph 1.16 of the Code on Access to Information, our department will
inform you of the latest progress of the case separately on or before 2
February 2022. In the meantime, please contact the undersigned via this
email if you have any enquiry.
Best Regards,
TSE Chung-hong
for Director of Immigration
To learn more about the application requirements and procedures of the
most frequently used services provided by the Hong Kong Immigration
Department, you are welcome to visit the Easy Access Playlist at Hong Kong
Immigration Department [1]YouTube Channel. The concerned video clips have
Cantonese voice-over supplemented by Chinese or English subtitles.
Our ref. : IL/00058210/22
Our Reference: L/M (1) in ImmD ORS/6-5/2 (C) Pt.4
Dear H. Y. Fung,
I refer to your application for access to information submitted on 13
January 2022 and our interim reply on 21 January 2022.
The “Search” statistics in Appendix 13 of the Immigration Department
Annual Report include the searches conducted by immigration officers of
Enforcement Branch in detention facilities other than Castle Peak Bay
Immigration Centre and Ma Tau Kok Detention Centre. The statistics
include strip search figures while immigration officers do not conduct
cavity search. We do not maintain breakdown on the above search
statistics by detention facilities or search types.
I hope the information is useful to you.
Best Regards,
TSE Chung-hong
for Director of Immigration
To learn more about the application requirements and procedures of the
most frequently used services provided by the Hong Kong Immigration
Department, you are welcome to visit the Easy Access Playlist at Hong Kong
Immigration Department [1]YouTube Channel. The concerned video clips have
Cantonese voice-over supplemented by Chinese or English subtitles.
